West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler
A faculty no-confidence vote against the president of West Texas A&M University in Canyon is taking place less than a month after President Walter Wendler canceled an on-campus drag show.
Wendler is accused of running the public university based on his own religious beliefs.
The drag show was going to be a fundraiser for The Trevor Project. Ironically, canceling the drag show would increase the number of calls to the suicide hotline.
In a letter to students, faculty and staff, Wendler wrote, “A harmless drag show? No such thing.” He compared drag to doing blackface.
Within a week, a student group and two of the group’s student leaders filed a First Amendment lawsuit against Wendler and also noted the cancelation violates a 2019 Texas campus free speech law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott.
Now faculty are weighing in.
The Texas Tribune quoted faculty organizers who accuse Wendler of “divisive misogynistic, homophobic and non-inclusive rhetoric that stands in stark contrast with the Core Values of the university.”
Wendler was removed from a previous position at Southern Illinois University Carbondale for “a communication breakdown with university leadership,” according to The Texas Tribune.
— David Taffet
