A Texas state representative has asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to investigate Texas A&M University over what he calls “discriminatory” targeted recruiting practices that he alleges violate federal law.

In an interview with The Dallas Express, State Rep. Brian Harrison, a Republican from Waxahachie, said he referred Texas A&M (his alma mater) to HHS in early May after receiving a letter from university President Mark Welsh acknowledging that the school continues such recruitment efforts, which Harrison says improperly factor in race, gender, or other identity markers.

As of publication, no member of the Texas A&M University Board of Regents responded to requests for comment from The Dallas Express. Those contacted include:

Regents Sam Torn and Bill Mahomes could not be reached for comment. Chancellor Glenn Hegar and President Mark Welsh also did not return requests for comment.

“In the state of Texas, government entities… should not be treating people differently based on anything other than merit,” Harrison said. “We have got to bring back a focus on meritocracy. And the president of Texas A&M brags about the fact that he’s doing it.”

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Harrison has also posted a video of a virtual faculty meeting in which Welsh appears to describe how targeted recruiting remains permissible under Senate Bill 17, a 2023 law banning most DEI functions at public universities, citing guidance from the university system’s general counsel. Welsh appears to try to use the “DEI” acronym sparingly in the clip, but Harrison claims it proves the school is “bragging” about its circumvention of the ban.

In a May 2 post on X, Harrison wrote, “I am referring Texas A&M to the Trump Administration for investigation after President Welsh (a former Obama appointee) sent me a letter admitting @TAMU is still engaged in DEI courses and discriminatory ‘targeted recruiting’ practices.”

The post included Harrison’s referral letter to HHS Acting General Counsel Brian Keveney, a former colleague of his from his time as chief of staff at HHS during Trump’s first term, in which he requested the agency take action against Texas A&M and other public universities he claims are violating Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, the 2023 Supreme Court ruling striking down race-based admissions.

Harrison said HHS has since acknowledged receipt of his letter and that “they are taking it and handling it appropriately.”

In his February 26 letter to Harrison, Welsh rejected the lawmaker’s characterizations and stated that recruiting practices like the ones referenced were explicitly exempted under SB 17, a bill Harrison himself voted for in 2023.

“Your comments accompanying the video imply that the university is doing something illegal by engaging in ‘targeted’ student recruitment efforts. You’ve also posted about student groups and academic courses, which, like recruiting activities, are specifically exempted in the bill,” Welsh wrote.

Welsh also criticized Harrison for failing to contact him directly before making accusations online, writing, “You and I have never met. Nor have I received any direct outreach from you or your office on any of the matters you’ve raised as concerns in social media, including the assertions you’ve made about me personally.”

Harrison, in turn, called Welsh’s defense “preposterous” and said, “Universities should not have to be told by the legislature to not engage in discrimination.” He has filed legislation to close what he sees as loopholes in SB 17 but says leadership in the Texas House refused to grant the proposals a hearing.

“They want to protect DEI,” Harrison said. “The Texas government might be one of the biggest funders of DEI in America.”

While the public focus has recently shifted to the legality of targeted recruiting, Harrison has long criticized broader diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in state-funded institutions.

“They are funding DEI. They have it in their programs. They have it in their curriculum. They have an entire course to train the next generation of DEI government staff,” Harrison said of A&M coursework. “And again, I can’t stress this enough… Elected officials in the state of Texas are constantly gaslighting their voters… it’s just a bald-faced lie. They’re saying the Texas government… banned DEI.”

Welsh, in his letter, insisted Texas A&M is fully compliant with the law and added that state auditors had verified that compliance. “We took Senate Bill 17 seriously, implementing all required changes universitywide prior to the law taking effect… We are fully committed to upholding state and federal laws,” he wrote.

Harrison contends the issue extends beyond A&M. “Is it going on at every university? I don’t know that I could say every, but… the majority of our publicly funded universities,” he said, also accusing several campuses of promoting what he called “transgender indoctrination.”