Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed suit against a Richardson-based institution called Texas American Muslim University \u2014 known as “TexAM” \u2014 alleging the organization illegally operated as a university and offered degrees without the state certification required to do so.<\/p>\n
The lawsuit, announced Monday, also claims TexAM caused confusion among prospective students by using branding and marketing language similar to Texas A&M University. On May 8, the Texas A&M University System sent TexAM a cease-and-desist letter over the similarity.<\/p>\n
“TexAM has repeatedly disregarded Texas law, misrepresented its authority to grant degrees, and risked deceiving students about its legitimacy,\u201d Paxton said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Paxton is seeking to halt TexAM’s operations entirely, obtain injunctive relief, and impose fines exceeding $1 million for alleged violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act and the Texas Education Code.<\/p>\n
The lawsuit comes after Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board sent TexAM a cease-and-desist letter earlier this month, citing noncompliance with state laws and regulations. The coordinating board gave TexAM a May 8 deadline to acknowledge the letter.<\/p>\n