why did the texas a&m president resigns

The president of Texas A&M University, Mark A. Welsh III, resigned amid intense controversy over his handling of a viral classroom video that showed a student confronting a professor about gender identity topics in a children's literature course. The professor, Melissa McCoul, was fired by Welsh after the video circulated online, sparking political backlash from Republican lawmakers and criticism from certain state leaders who accused the professor of promoting "gender ideology" and alleged the class broke the law. Welsh's resignation, announced by the Texas A&M University System Chancellor Glenn Hegar, came after a week of turmoil and pressure over the incident. While Hegar praised Welsh as a man of integrity and dedication, he said the timing was right for a leadership transition to position the university for continued excellence. Welsh stated that it became clear to him that it was time for someone else to take the helm. The situation drew involvement from Texas political figures including Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who criticized Welsh's handling of the situation. The controversy also led to demotions of other university administrators related to the incident. In summary, Mark A. Welsh III resigned largely due to the fallout and political pressure following his decision to terminate a professor over a contentious classroom discussion on gender identity, which ignited statewide debate about academic freedom and the values reflected at Texas A&M University.