AUSTIN, Texas — Texas has a law in place banning the teaching of so-called critical race theory in public K-12 schools. Now, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick would like to extend that ban to publicly funded universities and colleges.

Patrick on Tuesday tweeted out an article by the Austin American-Statesman that details a nonbinding resolution passed by the Faculty Council at the University of Texas at Austin defending the rights of faculty members to teach about race and gender issues, including critical race theory.

“I will not stand by and let looney Marxist UT professors poison the minds of young students with Critical Race Theory. We banned it in publicly funded K-12 and we will ban it in publicly funded higher ed. That’s why we created the Liberty Institute at UT,” Patrick wrote.

Liberty Institute is a conservative think tank that’s supposed to be coming to UT Austin and focus on teaching principles of individual liberty, limited government and private enterprise.

“The Faculty Council resolutely rejects any attempts by bodies external to the faculty to restrict or dictate the content of university curriculum on any matter, including matters related to racial and social justice, and will stand firm against any and all encroachment on faculty authority including by the legislature or the Board of Regents,” the Faculty Council resolution reads.

Signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in September 2021 and taking effect in December, Senate Bill 3 limits what K-12 Texas teachers can discuss concerning social and controversial issues, including topics related to gender, race and sex.