Regent suing UT System over records says he needs them to do his job
Attorneys for University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall argued Wednesday that the embattled regent should be allowed to see certain confidential student documents to test whether new admissions policies are sufficient to address problems found in an investigation.
Wednesday was the first hearing in a lawsuit that Hall filed against University of Texas System Chancellor Bill McRaven in Travis County district court in June. Hall is requesting the release of confidential student records that were used in a UT-System-commissioned investigation by Kroll Associates Inc. A summary of the findings was made public in February, stating that Bill Powers, during his time as president at the Austin campus, sometimes overruled admissions decisions to ensure the acceptance of applicants who were touted by legislators, regents, donors and other influential people.
The Board of Regents in August launched a new policy to ensure that only qualified students would be accepted. Hall was the only regent to vote against it, saying it didn’t do enough to root out favoritism in admissions.
The lawsuit is the latest in a long-running dispute between Hall and UT officials whom he has repeatedly accused of hiding information to cover up wrongdoing. Earlier this year, a grand jury considered whether Hall violated state law with his relentless pursuit of records from UT Austin, his alma mater, and by disclosing confidential student information. The jurors decided no criminal charges were warranted, but called upon state officials to remove him from office. Fellow regents also recently chastised him.
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