Texas’s New Higher Ed Watchdog Has Done Almost Nothing
Texas’s Office of the Ombudsman, created to provide independent oversight of the state’s colleges and universities, opened exactly one investigation after receiving 69 complaints in its first five months of operation. The records, obtained by the Texas Tribune, show an office that has functioned more as a complaint repository than an accountability mechanism.
1 in 69 Complaints that led to a formal investigation at the Texas Office of the Ombudsman during its first five months of operation
The office dismissed 28 complaints as harassing, profane, “obviously fake,” or invalid because they lacked a name or email address. The remaining complaints involved substantive disputes, including students reporting that colleges were limiting their academic options, but none triggered investigations.
The One Investigation That Was Opened
The single investigation the office pursued examined whether an academic assistance program violated Texas’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion by suppressing conservative speech and tolerating antisemitic speech. The student who filed the complaint alleged he was fired from a student instructor role after raising those concerns with supervisors. As of June 11, 2026, the investigation remained open.
Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Brandon Simmons, a former Texas Southern University regent, to lead the office. Simmons declined to answer questions about how his office evaluates complaints or what threshold triggers a formal investigation.
“Texas’ college leaders are working to implement new state laws and enhancing public trust in higher education by eliminating divisive practices and unconstitutional discrimination.”
Brandon Simmons, Texas Higher Education Ombudsman, statement to the Texas Tribune, 2026
That statement describes the office as a “partner” to college administrators, not an independent watchdog of them. The ombudsman’s office sits inside the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the same state body that oversees those administrators.
Why Weak Oversight Has Real Consequences
An ombudsman office that dismisses complaints without investigation offers no meaningful check on administrators who misapply state law, retaliate against students, or violate due process. The structure of the Texas office compounds this: it is embedded within a state agency whose leadership is appointed by the same governor who appointed Simmons. There is no independent accountability layer.
Students who filed the 68 complaints that were closed without investigation have no clear path to appeal that decision. Simmons’s office has not published criteria explaining what makes a complaint investigation-worthy.
What You Can Do Now
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Contact your Texas state legislators at the Texas Legislature’s member directory (capitol.texas.gov/Members/Members.aspx) and ask them to require the ombudsman’s office to publish written criteria for opening investigations, report quarterly on complaint dispositions, and establish an independent appeals process for dismissed complaints.
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Submit a public comment to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board at texas.gov/texashighered. Ask the board to require the ombudsman to report investigation outcomes publicly and to clarify whether students can appeal complaint dismissals.
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If you attend a Texas public university, contact your campus student government association and ask it to formally request that the ombudsman publish transparent complaint-handling standards. Campus associations can petition the Coordinating Board directly.
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Contact the ACLU of Texas at aclu.org/tx to report if you have filed a complaint with the ombudsman’s office that was dismissed without explanation. The ACLU monitors higher education retaliation cases in Texas and can advise on legal options.
Sources
Texas Tribune: Texas College Ombudsman Received Nearly 70 Complaints, Opened One Investigation
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: Office of the Ombudsman Overview