Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued Texas American Muslim University, or TexAM, alleging it operated without authorization to grant degrees, marketed unauthorized bachelor’s and master’s programs, and used confusing branding tied to Texas A&M.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued Texas American Muslim University, known as TexAM, accusing the North Texas school of operating without state authorization to grant degrees and misleading prospective students.
The lawsuit, filed May 18, says TexAM marketed bachelor's and master's programs, promoted a campus in Richardson and solicited students online and overseas. The attorney general's office says the school did not have the certificate of authority required to award degrees in Texas.
The filing adds to a string of state actions against the entity. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board issued a cease-and-desist letter on May 6, saying TexAM was not authorized to operate as a higher-education institution in Texas. The Texas A&M University System sent its own cease-and-desist letter on May 8 over alleged trademark and branding confusion with Texas A&M.
The Texas Tribune reported that TexAM's founder said the group had already complied with the state board's cease-and-desist letter and would continue operating as an institute. That statement conflicts with the attorney general's allegations that the school continued unlawful university operations and degree marketing.
The lawsuit is the latest step in a dispute that now appears headed for court review. The attorney general is seeking to stop the alleged unauthorized activity, while the state and the school dispute what TexAM is allowed to call itself and what it can offer students.
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