Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Texas American Muslim University \u2014 known as TexAM \u2014 accusing the Richardson-based group of illegally presenting itself as a university, offering degrees it had no authority to grant, and misleading students about its legitimacy.<\/p>\n
The lawsuit<\/a> directly names TexAM along with three individuals associated with its operations: Shahid A. Bajwa, Bilal Piracha, and Arsalan Shahzad.<\/p>\n \u201cTexAM has repeatedly disregarded Texas law, misrepresented its authority to grant degrees, and risked deceiving students about its legitimacy,\u201d Paxton said via press release<\/a> on May 18. \u201cMy office will not allow illegal, unaccredited degree mills to operate in Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the official announcement from Paxton\u2019s office, TexAM was never even issued the certificate of authority required under Texas law to operate a private postsecondary institution. Despite that, the group advertised bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s programs, promoted a student campus in Richardson, and solicited students online and from overseas.<\/p>\n Paxton\u2019s office added that TexAM\u2019s nonprofit corporate charter was forfeited in February 2026 and remains forfeited.<\/p>\n Paxton wants the court to shut TexAM down for good, block any attempt to resume operations, and collect more than $1 million in civil penalties for their alleged violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act<\/a> and the Texas Education Code<\/a>.<\/p>\n A Story The Dallas Express Has Been Tracking<\/p>\n The Dallas Express<\/a> first reported on TexAM in early May, spotlighting how the \u201cuniversity\u201d was advertising itself as \u201cthe first university in the United States to offer STEM degree programs embedded with mandatory courses in Islamic Studies.\u201d<\/p>\n The \u201cuniversity\u201d listed a physical address at 1100 E. Campbell Road in Richardson \u2013 a building also associated with the Dallas Diyanet Mosque and the Islamic Seminary of America \u2013 and was advertising Spring 2026 admissions across four undergraduate programs and a master\u2019s degree in artificial intelligence, with discounted tuition of $99 per three-credit course for foreign students.<\/p>\n No accrediting agency was listed on its website.<\/p>\n The Dallas Express repeatedly asked TexAM to clarify its accreditation status and whether it had state authorization to award degrees, and eventually received a response. Founder Bajwa pushed back on a few concerns, saying the school had not charged tuition, was funded by donations, and would not grant degrees until it secured the required approvals.<\/p>\n \u201cAt present, TexAM University does not grant degrees, certificates, or credentials\u2026 We will not offer degrees until all regulatory approvals are secured,\u201d Bajwa told<\/a> DX in a written statement.<\/p>\n However, as DX\u00a0 reported<\/a>, TexAM\u2019s website told a different story, advertising degree programs, course fees, and mandatory Islamic Studies.<\/p>\n On May 7, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board issued TexAM a cease-and-desist letter at the direction<\/a> of Gov. Greg Abbott, finding that the school was operating illegally and ordering it to stop advertising degree programs and enrolling students.<\/p>\n