Federal Judge Dismisses Discrimination Lawsuit Against Texas A&M

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Texas A&M University that claimed a faculty fellowship program discriminated against white and Asian male candidates. The judge ruled that the passage of Senate Bill 17, which bans public universities in Texas from considering race or other characteristics beyond merit in hiring, renders the lawsuit moot. The plaintiff, Richard Lowery, a white finance professor at the University of Texas at Austin, had not applied for a position at Texas A&M but argued that ongoing discrimination prevented him from doing so. The judge stated that Lowery cannot assume discrimination exists without being a candidate, but did not preclude future action if unconstitutional hiring practices continue.