The Concho Observer sent a public information request to Angelo State University seeking, among other things, a list of all course materials, books or texts ordered to be removed form university courses.
ASU responded that it does not want to disclose the list of these materials and has requested an opinion from the Texas Attorney General Office as to whether it can withhold this information.
The university did not provide a list of just the titles of works faculty have been ordered not to use in their classes, and argues the list is excluded from being provided under the Public Information Act because it is an internal communication that consists of advice, recommendations, opinions and other material reflecting the policymaking process of the governmental body under Texas Government Code § 552.111.
In its previous open records requests to ASU, the legal department has asserted the same objection regarding any communications about its effort to ban books from course materials.
The review process with the Attorney General’s Office can take several months before they issue an opinion or disclose information,
