A former Texas A&M lecturer fired after a classroom controversy has filed a federal lawsuit alleging violations of her First Amendment and due‑process rights. Melissa McCoul says political pressure following a classroom video of a gender‑identity discussion led to her termination and that university processes failed to protect her academic freedoms. Her suit names university officials and the system’s board and arrives alongside systemwide curricular audits and policy changes: Texas A&M announced the end of its women’s and gender studies program and restricted how instructors may discuss certain race and gender topics. The case is likely to test institutional governance, due‑process protections for non‑tenured faculty, and how public universities respond to external political pressure.