AUSTIN – Texas A&M University agreed to pay a prominent Black professor US$1 million (S$1.3 million) in a settlement over her failed hiring that led to the abrupt resignation of the university’s president in July.

The school released an internal report on Thursday, conducted by its general counsel’s office, about the mishandled hiring of Professor Kathleen McElroy.

The school acknowledged that “mistakes were made during the hiring process” and apologised to the educator, according to a statement.

Texas A&M initially sought Prof McElroy to revive its journalism programme, but later became concerned because she is a proponent of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

The state’s Republican-led legislature eliminated public universities’ offices of DEI in 2023 amid a mounting conservative backlash to the programmes.

School officials changed the terms of the job offer, which she rejected.

Prof McElroy, a 1981 graduate of the school, will remain at the University of Texas at Austin, where she is a tenured faculty member.

In a joint statement with Texas A&M, she said she hoped the resolution will enforce A&M’s allegiance to excellence in higher education and its commitment to academic freedom and journalism.

 “I will never forget that Aggies – students, faculty members, former students and staff – voiced support for me from many sectors,” she said. BLOOMBERG