Fired Texas A&M English Professor Files A Federal Lawsuit Seeing Reinstatement And Damages

Screen shots from the original complaint in federal lawsuit 4:26-cv-00865.

A fired Texas A&M English professor files a federal lawsuit against the A&M system, the board of regents, the system chancellor and vice chancellor for academic affairs, former university president Mark Welsh, and current interim president Tommy Williams.

Melissa McCoul’s 24 page lawsuit, filed in Houston, provides her chronology of the events that led to her termination in September of 2025, which followed fallout by critics of a lesson she presented in July.

Click HERE to read and download the Melissa McCoul’s original complaint that was filed February 4, 2026.

Dr. McCoul is asking for declaratory judgment that:

  • (1) she did not violate state law;
  • (2) she did not violate a directive;
  • (3) she did not violate policy, and
  • (4) was, instead, terminated for exercising her academic freedom as guaranteed to her by the First Amendment.

McCoul is also seeking:

  • (a) Reasonable attorney’s and expert’s fees;
  • (b) Compensatory damages;
  • (c) Punitive damages, as Defendants acted with reckless or callous indifference to Dr. McCoul’s federally protected rights;
  • (d) Lost wages and compensation, including back pay and front pay;
  • (e) Expectancy, reliance, restitution, and consequential damages;
  • (f) Mental anguish damages in the past, present, and future;
  • (g) Reinstatement;
  • (h) Declaratory relief; and
  • (i) Such other and further relief, at law or in equity as afforded by law, to which she may be entitled.

The same day McCoul’s lawsuit was filed, began the quarterly meetings of the board of regents. The agenda for Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning had the regents in executive session, meeting in private among other things about legal matters.

A system spokesman told WTAW News ““We are aware of the lawsuit but have not been served. The Texas A&M University System has not had the opportunity to review the complaint. As this is pending litigation, we will not comment further, but we intend to vigorously defend against the claims.”

WTAW News also asked for a statement from the university. A university spokesman replied with the system’s statement.

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