----- Forwarded Message -----
From: John McMillan <mcmillanj@att.net>
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Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 10:27:17 PM CDT
Subject: FYI: THECB's 10-14-21 letter to OAG re: my recent PIR cites Atty-Client Privilege, 'Deliberative Process Privilege'
A respectful FYI to each of you on the following verbatim text (below) of the October 14, 2021, signed legal letter that the Very Honorable General Counsel for the Texas Higher Education Board (THECB) state agency in Austin, Ms. Nichole Bunker-Henderson, wrote and sent today to the Attorney General of Texas state agency.
That legal letter seeks official permission from the Attorney General's Office in Austin to withhold from me numerous legal documents responsive to my recent public information request to the THECB here in Austin. The official date of receipt cited by the THECB on that request of mine is September 23, 2021. I myself had e-mailed that request to the THECB on the night of August 31, 2021.
My August 31, 2021-dated public-information request of mine to the THECB in Austin had sought "a copy of any and all letters, e-mail letters, reports, memoranda, or other written communications referring to myself at least once in any manner, and that in each such case were written, received, sent, forwarded, mailed, or FAXed at any time since April 1, 2011, by any staff member or attorney or administrator of your state agency's Office of General Counsel here in Austin."
Best Wishes,
from public-information requestor John Kevin McMillan, an alumnus of The University of Texas at Austin; The University of Minnesota Graduate School of Journalism and Mass Communications in Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Stephen F. Austin High School of Austin Independent School District in Austin, Texas.
My solo-occupancy efficiency rental-apartment unit home address ever since June 21, 2019:
Pebble Creek Apartments, 8805 North Plaza Drive, Building 17, Apt. 2418, Austin, TX 78753.
Home phone: (512) 342-2295.
Cell phone: (512) 993-7305.
_________________________________________________
HARRISON KELLER, PH.D.
Commissioner of Higher Education
512.427.6101
NICHOLE BUNKER-HENDERSON
General Counsel
512.427.6297
Nichole.Bunker-Henderson@highered.texas.gov
LESLI G. GATTIS
Deputy General Counsel
512.427.6143
Lesli.Gattis@highered.texas.gov
Fax: 512.427.6127
Website: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us
THE STATE OF TEXAS
TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD
OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL
P.O. Box 12788
Austin, Texas 78711
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
October 14, 2021
Justin Gordon, Chief
Open Records Division
Office of the Attorney General
P.O. Box 12548
Austin, TX 78711
Re: OAG Tracking ID OR-92018921; THECB PIR 2022-09 (JMcMillan)
Dear Mr. Gordon:
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) received the attached and above-referenced request for information on September 23, 2021. Pursuant to the Texas Public Information Act (PIA), the THECB submitted an initial request for an Attorney General decision. The THECB now submits written comments pertaining to the applicable exceptions as well as a representative sample of responsive documents subject to said exceptions.
THECB seeks to withhold certain information and documents from the requestor as they are excepted from disclosure under the PIA and/or confidential by law pursuant to Tex. Gov’t Code § 552.107.
Unless otherwise indicated, citations below are to the PIA, Chapter 552 of the Texas Government Code.
Attorney-Client Communications - § 552.107 (Attorney-Client Privilege)
The responsive information includes internal attorney-client communications related to the THECB’s work in this matter, beyond mere factual information or routine administrative matters. This information should be excepted from disclosure to protect the attorney-client privileged recognized in Texas common law. The communications at issue are sent to or received from the agency’s legal counsel about what and whether response is legally required in response to external communications. This privilege is recognized by Texas law as compelling in that it “the privilege shields confidential information from third parties whose litigation or business interests are adverse to the public’s interest, promotes a culture that incentivizes governmental bodies to seek legal advice, and allows the free flow of information between attorney and client without fear of compelled public disclosure.” Paxton v. City of Dallas, 509 S.W.3d 247, 264-65 (Tex. 2017). A representative sample is attached as Attachment A.
Intra-agency Communications - § 552.111 (Deliberative Process Privilege)
The responsive information includes internal draft documents, memoranda, and communications related to the THECB’s policy-making function, beyond mere factual information or routine administrative matters. This information should be excepted from disclosure to protect frank and open discussion among agency staff, in furtherance of the THECB’s policy considerations and mission. The communications reflect communications from members of the agency’s leadership team about what and whether response is required to external communications apart from the advice provided by legal counsel on the matter. A representative sample is attached as Attachment B.
THECB will produce information and documents that are responsive and not confidential or exempt from disclosure to the requestor in a timely manner. By copy of this letter, the requestor is advised of THECB’s specific grounds underlying its request for a letter ruling to permit THECB to withhold certain information.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Very Truly Yours,
(Signature of Nichole Bunker-Henderson)
Nichole Bunker-Henderson
General Counsel
Nichole.Bunker-Henderson@highered.texas.gov
Attachment: Copy of request for information
Cc (w/o attachments): John Kevin McMillan, mcmillanj@att.net (Requestor)
John Kevin McMillan
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