Texas’s Higher Ed Overseer Dismisses Dozens of Complaints

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board dismissed dozens of complaints filed with its ombudsman office between September 2023 and May 2024. The ombudsman, established by Republican lawmakers, was intended to investigate alleged violations of the state's ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and the restructuring of faculty governance bodies within Texas public universities. Of the 73 complaints received, 60 were dismissed, with the board citing a lack of jurisdiction or insufficient information as primary reasons. Only 13 complaints were deemed to warrant further investigation, and as of June 23, 2026, none had resulted in formal findings of violations. The ombudsman's office was created as part of broader legislative efforts in Texas to reshape higher education policy, focusing on issues such as tenure, curriculum, and institutional practices related to DEI. The dismissals highlight challenges in the implementation and enforcement of these new policies, as well as the limited scope and effectiveness of the ombudsman's investigative powers. The board's actions have drawn criticism from faculty advocacy groups who argue that the dismissals undermine the stated purpose of the ombudsman position and fail to address potential infringements on academic freedom and institutional autonomy.