Texas A&M University is attempting to conceal records related to an abortion research project led by one of its professors.
On August 3, Texas Scorecard sent Texas A&M a request for records related to a research project that examines the relationship between abortion facility access and various economic and educational outcomes.
On August 18, the Texas A&M University System—the parent body of the university—chose to appeal this request to the Texas attorney general’s office. TAMUS cited a state law that exempts details like datasets, research methods, collaborators, and potential applications from being released if doing so would give competitors an edge in getting research funding or grants.
This publication had already agreed to any mandatory exceptions, which TAMUS identified as certain confidential research data.
Dr. Daniel Marthey, an assistant professor at the Texas A&M School of Public Health, is leading the research project. On June 12, he presented it to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Education Research Advisory Board.
Marthey said his objective is to help develop policies that mitigate the impact of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, which had legalized abortion nationally.
Texas Scorecard requested all submissions to ERAB since January 1. On August 1, the coordinating board appealed to the attorney general’s office, claiming some of the requested information is subject to attorney-client privilege and contains third-party proprietary information.
Neither TAMUS nor Gov. Greg Abbott’s office replied to a comment request before publication.
The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, whose members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Texas Senate, will meet August 27 to 29.
If you or anyone you know has information regarding university research projects, please contact our tip line: scorecardtips@protonmail.com.
