Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX) has filed suit against an organization calling itself “Texas American Muslim University”, accusing it of operating illegally, offering unauthorized degrees, and deceiving prospective students, all without ever obtaining the state certification required to function as a university.
The organization, known as TexAM, is based in Richardson and has advertised bachelor's and master's degree programs, promoted a student campus, and actively recruited students both online and abroad.
According to Paxton's office, none of that was legal. TexAM never received the certificate of authority required under Texas law to operate as a private postsecondary institution.
Furthermore, TexAM's nonprofit corporate charter was forfeited in February 2026 and remains forfeited. Just weeks before Paxton's lawsuit was filed, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board issued the organization a cease-and-desist letter, formally finding that it was operating illegally and subject to civil penalties.
Branding Confusion
A separate issue compounded TexAM's legal exposure. The organization's name and branding were deemed "confusingly similar" to Texas A&M University, one of the state's most recognizable public institutions.
The Texas A&M University System issued its own cease-and-desist letter demanding that TexAM stop implying any affiliation with the flagship university.
"TexAM has repeatedly disregarded Texas law, misrepresented its authority to grant degrees, and risked deceiving students about its legitimacy," Paxton said in a statement. "My office will not allow illegal, unaccredited degree mills to operate in Texas."
The lawsuit names three individuals connected to TexAM's operations: Shahid A. Bajwa, Bilal Piracha, and Arsalan Shahzad.
Paxton's office is seeking an injunction to halt the organization's activities entirely and is pursuing civil penalties exceeding $1 million for alleged violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the Texas Education Code.
For students who may have enrolled or paid tuition, the case raises unsettling questions about the credentials they were promised and whether those degrees carry any legal standing.
