Faculty at Texas A&M reported administrators ordered removal of Plato excerpts and other materials from a core philosophy course while the university conducts a broader review of curricula under new rules limiting teaching on race and gender. The guidance, which also instructed English faculty to avoid major plotlines involving LGBT characters in core courses, has prompted criticism from faculty and academic freedom advocates who say curricular censorship risks degrading curricular quality and scholarly rigor. The episode underscores rising pressure on public institutions from state policymakers and university overseers to police content — a flashpoint that lawyers, accreditors and faculty governance bodies are watching for implications on hiring, tenure, and curricular autonomy.