Fake Campus, Real Lawsuit: Texas’ Legal Action Against Unaccredited Muslim School “TexAM”

Even someone with bad eyesight could have seen this one coming. A muslim school is being sued by the State of Texas after falsely claiming to be an accredited institution. This comes AFTER the school was accused of trademark infringement by Texas A&M.

Texas Students Protected From Fake Degrees

Can you imagine slogging through four years of college only to learn on Graduation Day that your degree is worthless? That could have been the fate of Texas students had the State of Texas not stepped in to shut down a fraudulent business claiming to be a university.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues Unaccredited North Texas Entity Operating as “TexAM”

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has fired up a formal lawsuit against an organization operating under the title of Texas American Muslim University, commonly abbreviated as “TexAM.” The state’s legal action accuses the institution of illegally posing as an accredited university, marketing higher education degrees without the required legal permissions, and systematically deceiving prospective students regarding its legitimacy.

Operating Without Legal Authority

According to details released by the Office of the Attorney General, TexAM never obtained a certificate of authority, which is a legal mandate for any private college offering academic programs within the state of Texas. Despite this total absence of statutory clearance, the business actively advertised undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Other Charges Against “TexAM”

According to the Attorney General, the group promoted a physical student campus location in Richardson and actively targeted prospective students in online campaigns both inside and outside the United States.

Illegal Actions

The school had a number of problems before this lawsuit was filed:

Forfeited Charter: The institution's nonprofit corporate charter was officially forfeited earlier this year in February and has not been reinstated.

State Cease and Desist: On May 6, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board issued an official cease and desist directive. The state regulatory board said TexAM is conducting business in an illegal manner, lacks any authority to grant academic degrees, and faces substantial civil liability.

But Wait! There’s More! Trademark Infringement Charges

In addition to the licensing violations, state prosecutors said the organization purposely utilized branding, logos, and a name that is a blatant rip off of Texas A&M University. This direct overlap prompted the Texas A&M University System to deliver its own separate cease and desist notification, demanding that the Richardson-based operation immediately halt any messaging that implies a partnership or connection with the state's flagship public university system.

Who is Involved?

The lawsuit names the TexAM entity alongside three people responsible for directing its day-to-day operations: Shahid A. Bajwa, Bilal Piracha, and Arsalan Shahzad. Through this litigation, Attorney General Paxton intends to permanently shut down all unauthorized academic programs, secure binding injunctive relief, and secure financial penalties exceeding $1 million.