TPIA Request — Metadata for Targeted Communications (Designated Custodians)¶

To the Public Information Officer,

Attached is my TPIA request seeking a metadata‑only export for emails
and Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS referencing my name or any of the
terms in the attached document within the date range noted, for the
custodians listed. Please apply the scope, platform,
redactions/withholding, and narrowing/cost terms as in the attached
letter.

Thank you,
Kevin Bass
kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com | [REDACTED – HOME-PHONE]

Good Afternoon,







Texas Tech University System (TTUS) is in receipt of your Texas Public Information Act request below/attached.  However, TTUS seeks to discuss with you how the scope of your request might be narrowed and/or clarified pursuant to Texas Government Code § 552.222(b).  TTUS requests that you narrow or clarify the scope of your request as follows:



  1.  Your request seeks metadata for all emails across a significant number of custodians and numerous platforms (emails, Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS messages, etc.) over a 28-month period. A search of this magnitude could result in significant costs to you.

  2.  Further, your request asks us to search for the general terms “medical student” and “student.” These terms are overly broad and may appear in countless routine communications across the requested custodians. Searching for these general terms across this many custodians’ accounts and multiple communication platforms could result in an extremely high volume of initial results. Manually reviewing this massive volume to find metadata specifically related to the terms provided would result in significant costs to you.

  3.  Additionally, because the term “student” and “medical student” is a search criterion, the resulting metadata may contain personally identifiable information of other students. Because a search of this nature may involve sensitive student information, the responsive records may contain information that is confidential by law, specifically under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Releasing metadata for all emails and Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS messages referencing “student” or “medical student” from June 1, 2023, through October 2, 2025, may make it possible to identify confidential student information. Consequently, extensive information over a 28-month period could require significant manual review and redaction before any information could be released. This necessary process would result in significant costs to you.

  4.  You may wish to consider narrowing the scope of your request to reduce these potential costs. For example, you could limit your request by doing the following:







  *   Refine Search Terms: Remove the overly broad terms ‘medical student’ and ‘student’.

  *   Reduce Custodians: Limit your request to only 2-3 individuals directly involved in your student proceedings instead of numerous custodians.

  *   Narrow the Timeframe: Narrow the 28-month period to a more relevant period, such as a single semester or academic year.

  *   Limit Platforms: Narrow your request to search university email only and exclude other collaboration and messaging platforms.







Please simply respond to this request and let us know if you are willing to narrow/clarify the scope of your request in the manner suggested or in some other manner.  Please note that we may be required to send some information to the Texas Attorney General for review prior to release.  That process could take 2-3 months.  TTUS is required to inform you that if you do not respond to this request for narrowing/clarification within 61 days from the date of this request, your request will be considered withdrawn.







Sincerely,



Brontë C. Staugaard



Assistant General Counsel



Texas Tech University System



(806) 742-2155







This communication, including any attachments, originates from an Attorney and may contain confidential information and is intended only for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. Any review, dissemination, or copying of this communication by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail, delete and destroy all copies of the original message.











-----Original Message-----



From: Kevin Bass <kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com<mailto:kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com>>



Sent: Friday, October 3, 2025 12:20 AM



To: Public Info <publicinfo@ttu.edu<mailto:publicinfo@ttu.edu>>



Cc: Bentley, Eric <Eric.Bentley@ttu.edu<mailto:Eric.Bentley@ttu.edu>>; Wall, Ronny <Ronny.Wall@ttu.edu<mailto:Ronny.Wall@ttu.edu>>



Subject: TPIA Request — Metadata for Targeted Communications (Designated Custodians)







[You don't often get email from kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com<mailto:kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com>. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ]







This email originated outside TTU. Please exercise caution<https://askit.ttu.edu/phishing>!











To the Public Information Officer,







Attached is my TPIA request seeking a metadata‑only export for emails and Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS referencing my name or any of the terms in the attached document within the date range noted, for the custodians listed. Please apply the scope, platform, redactions/withholding, and narrowing/cost terms as in the attached letter.







Thank you,



Kevin Bass



kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com<mailto:kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com> | [REDACTED – HOME-PHONE]

Brontë,

This responds to your Oct 17, 2025 clarification under §552.222.

Narrowing (Phase-1):
Platform: University email only (exclude Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS).
Custodians (5): Eric Bentley; Ronny Wall; William Webster; Amanda
McSween; Beverly Muñoz.
Date range: Oct 3–Oct 31, 2025.
Search focus (metadata only): From, To, Cc, Bcc, Subject,
Sent/Received date-time (UTC), Message-ID/Internet-Message-ID,
thread/conversation ID, folder path, size, attachment count +
filenames (no body text).
Terms (avoid broad “student”): “Kevin Norris Bass” OR “Kevin Bass” OR
“kbassphiladelphia” OR “Preservation Notice” OR “P3” OR “SPPCC” OR
“professionalism” OR “dismissal” OR “appeal” OR “name-clearing”.
FERPA: Redact other students’ identifiers; segregate and release the rest.
Cost control: I elect inspection where it reduces charges (§552.272).
If you believe programming/manipulation is needed, identify the
specific tasks and provide the §552.231 form/time/cost statement.
Cap & schedule: Treat this as Phase-1 ≤$100 (no deposit). Please
confirm receipt and give a date/time for the first rolling batch of
non-exempt metadata.

Kevin Bass PhD MS
Phone: [REDACTED – HOME-PHONE]

On Fri, Oct 17, 2025 at 5:01 PM Staugaard, Bronte
<Bronte.Staugaard@ttu.edu> wrote:
>
> Good Afternoon,
>
>
>
> Texas Tech University System (TTUS) is in receipt of your Texas Public Information Act request below/attached.  However, TTUS seeks to discuss with you how the scope of your request might be narrowed and/or clarified pursuant to Texas Government Code § 552.222(b).  TTUS requests that you narrow or clarify the scope of your request as follows:
>
> Your request seeks metadata for all emails across a significant number of custodians and numerous platforms (emails, Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS messages, etc.) over a 28-month period. A search of this magnitude could result in significant costs to you.
> Further, your request asks us to search for the general terms “medical student” and “student.” These terms are overly broad and may appear in countless routine communications across the requested custodians. Searching for these general terms across this many custodians’ accounts and multiple communication platforms could result in an extremely high volume of initial results. Manually reviewing this massive volume to find metadata specifically related to the terms provided would result in significant costs to you.
> Additionally, because the term “student” and “medical student” is a search criterion, the resulting metadata may contain personally identifiable information of other students. Because a search of this nature may involve sensitive student information, the responsive records may contain information that is confidential by law, specifically under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Releasing metadata for all emails and Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS messages referencing “student” or “medical student” from June 1, 2023, through October 2, 2025, may make it possible to identify confidential student information. Consequently, extensive information over a 28-month period could require significant manual review and redaction before any information could be released. This necessary process would result in significant costs to you.
> You may wish to consider narrowing the scope of your request to reduce these potential costs. For example, you could limit your request by doing the following:
>
>
>
> Refine Search Terms: Remove the overly broad terms ‘medical student’ and ‘student’.
> Reduce Custodians: Limit your request to only 2-3 individuals directly involved in your student proceedings instead of numerous custodians.
> Narrow the Timeframe: Narrow the 28-month period to a more relevant period, such as a single semester or academic year.
> Limit Platforms: Narrow your request to search university email only and exclude other collaboration and messaging platforms.
>
>
>
> Please simply respond to this request and let us know if you are willing to narrow/clarify the scope of your request in the manner suggested or in some other manner.  Please note that we may be required to send some information to the Texas Attorney General for review prior to release.  That process could take 2-3 months.  TTUS is required to inform you that if you do not respond to this request for narrowing/clarification within 61 days from the date of this request, your request will be considered withdrawn.
>
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Brontë C. Staugaard
>
> Assistant General Counsel
>
> Texas Tech University System
>
> (806) 742-2155
>
>
>
> This communication, including any attachments, originates from an Attorney and may contain confidential information and is intended only for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. Any review, dissemination, or copying of this communication by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail, delete and destroy all copies of the original message.
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: Kevin Bass <kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com>
>
> Sent: Friday, October 3, 2025 12:20 AM
>
> To: Public Info <publicinfo@ttu.edu>
>
> Cc: Bentley, Eric <Eric.Bentley@ttu.edu>; Wall, Ronny <Ronny.Wall@ttu.edu>
>
> Subject: TPIA Request — Metadata for Targeted Communications (Designated Custodians)
>
>
>
> [You don't often get email from kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ]
>
>
>
> This email originated outside TTU. Please exercise caution<https://askit.ttu.edu/phishing>!
>
>
>
>
>
> To the Public Information Officer,
>
>
>
> Attached is my TPIA request seeking a metadata‑only export for emails and Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS referencing my name or any of the terms in the attached document within the date range noted, for the custodians listed. Please apply the scope, platform, redactions/withholding, and narrowing/cost terms as in the attached letter.
>
>
>
> Thank you,
>
> Kevin Bass
>
> kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com | [REDACTED – HOME-PHONE]

Good Afternoon,







Texas Tech University System's (TTUS) response to your request/clarification and narrowing below and attached above is attached herein.  We have also attached a copy of the request for brief letter, which was sent to the Attorney General.  Once we receive the opinion from the Attorney General, we will respond accordingly.







Sincerely,



Brontë C. Staugaard



Assistant General Counsel



Texas Tech University System



(806) 742-2155







This communication, including any attachments, originates from an Attorney and may contain confidential information and is intended only for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. Any review, dissemination, or copying of this communication by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail, delete and destroy all copies of the original message.







-----Original Message-----

From: Kevin Bass <kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com>

Sent: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 8:00 AM

To: Staugaard, Bronte <Bronte.Staugaard@ttu.edu>

Subject: Re: TPIA Request — Metadata for Targeted Communications (Designated Custodians)







Brontë,







This responds to your Oct 17, 2025 clarification under §552.222.







Narrowing (Phase-1):



Platform: University email only (exclude Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS).



Custodians (5): Eric Bentley; Ronny Wall; William Webster; Amanda McSween; Beverly Muñoz.



Date range: Oct 3–Oct 31, 2025.



Search focus (metadata only): From, To, Cc, Bcc, Subject, Sent/Received date-time (UTC), Message-ID/Internet-Message-ID, thread/conversation ID, folder path, size, attachment count + filenames (no body text).



Terms (avoid broad “student”): “Kevin Norris Bass” OR “Kevin Bass” OR “kbassphiladelphia” OR “Preservation Notice” OR “P3” OR “SPPCC” OR “professionalism” OR “dismissal” OR “appeal” OR “name-clearing”.



FERPA: Redact other students’ identifiers; segregate and release the rest.



Cost control: I elect inspection where it reduces charges (§552.272).



If you believe programming/manipulation is needed, identify the specific tasks and provide the §552.231 form/time/cost statement.



Cap & schedule: Treat this as Phase-1 ≤$100 (no deposit). Please confirm receipt and give a date/time for the first rolling batch of non-exempt metadata.







Kevin Bass PhD MS



Phone: [REDACTED – HOME-PHONE]







On Fri, Oct 17, 2025 at 5:01 PM Staugaard, Bronte <Bronte.Staugaard@ttu.edu<mailto:Bronte.Staugaard@ttu.edu>> wrote:



>



> Good Afternoon,



>



>



>



> Texas Tech University System (TTUS) is in receipt of your Texas Public Information Act request below/attached.  However, TTUS seeks to discuss with you how the scope of your request might be narrowed and/or clarified pursuant to Texas Government Code § 552.222(b).  TTUS requests that you narrow or clarify the scope of your request as follows:



>



> Your request seeks metadata for all emails across a significant number of custodians and numerous platforms (emails, Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS messages, etc.) over a 28-month period. A search of this magnitude could result in significant costs to you.



> Further, your request asks us to search for the general terms “medical student” and “student.” These terms are overly broad and may appear in countless routine communications across the requested custodians. Searching for these general terms across this many custodians’ accounts and multiple communication platforms could result in an extremely high volume of initial results. Manually reviewing this massive volume to find metadata specifically related to the terms provided would result in significant costs to you.



> Additionally, because the term “student” and “medical student” is a search criterion, the resulting metadata may contain personally identifiable information of other students. Because a search of this nature may involve sensitive student information, the responsive records may contain information that is confidential by law, specifically under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Releasing metadata for all emails and Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS messages referencing “student” or “medical student” from June 1, 2023, through October 2, 2025, may make it possible to identify confidential student information. Consequently, extensive information over a 28-month period could require significant manual review and redaction before any information could be released. This necessary process would result in significant costs to you.



> You may wish to consider narrowing the scope of your request to reduce these potential costs. For example, you could limit your request by doing the following:



>



>



>



> Refine Search Terms: Remove the overly broad terms ‘medical student’ and ‘student’.



> Reduce Custodians: Limit your request to only 2-3 individuals directly involved in your student proceedings instead of numerous custodians.



> Narrow the Timeframe: Narrow the 28-month period to a more relevant period, such as a single semester or academic year.



> Limit Platforms: Narrow your request to search university email only and exclude other collaboration and messaging platforms.



>



>



>



> Please simply respond to this request and let us know if you are willing to narrow/clarify the scope of your request in the manner suggested or in some other manner.  Please note that we may be required to send some information to the Texas Attorney General for review prior to release.  That process could take 2-3 months.  TTUS is required to inform you that if you do not respond to this request for narrowing/clarification within 61 days from the date of this request, your request will be considered withdrawn.



>



>



>



> Sincerely,



>



> Brontë C. Staugaard



>



> Assistant General Counsel



>



> Texas Tech University System



>



> (806) 742-2155



>



>



>



> This communication, including any attachments, originates from an Attorney and may contain confidential information and is intended only for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. Any review, dissemination, or copying of this communication by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail, delete and destroy all copies of the original message.



>



>



>



>



>



> -----Original Message-----



>



> From: Kevin Bass <kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com<mailto:kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com>>



>



> Sent: Friday, October 3, 2025 12:20 AM



>



> To: Public Info <publicinfo@ttu.edu<mailto:publicinfo@ttu.edu>>



>



> Cc: Bentley, Eric <Eric.Bentley@ttu.edu<mailto:Eric.Bentley@ttu.edu>>; Wall, Ronny



> <Ronny.Wall@ttu.edu<mailto:Ronny.Wall@ttu.edu>>



>



> Subject: TPIA Request — Metadata for Targeted Communications



> (Designated Custodians)



>



>



>



> [You don't often get email from kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com<mailto:kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com>. Learn why



> this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ]



>



>



>



> This email originated outside TTU. Please exercise caution<https://askit.ttu.edu/phishing>!



>



>



>



>



>



> To the Public Information Officer,



>



>



>



> Attached is my TPIA request seeking a metadata‑only export for emails and Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS referencing my name or any of the terms in the attached document within the date range noted, for the custodians listed. Please apply the scope, platform, redactions/withholding, and narrowing/cost terms as in the attached letter.



>



>



>



> Thank you,



>



> Kevin Bass



>



> kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com<mailto:kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com> | [REDACTED – HOME-PHONE]

Brontë,



This responds to your Oct 17, 2025 clarification under §552.222.



Narrowing (Phase-1):

Platform: University email only (exclude Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS).

Custodians (5): Eric Bentley; Ronny Wall; William Webster; Amanda

McSween; Beverly Muñoz.

Date range: Oct 3–Oct 31, 2025.

Search focus (metadata only): From, To, Cc, Bcc, Subject,

Sent/Received date-time (UTC), Message-ID/Internet-Message-ID,

thread/conversation ID, folder path, size, attachment count +

filenames (no body text).

Terms (avoid broad “student”): “Kevin Norris Bass” OR “Kevin Bass” OR

“kbassphiladelphia” OR “Preservation Notice” OR “P3” OR “SPPCC” OR

“professionalism” OR “dismissal” OR “appeal” OR “name-clearing”.

FERPA: Redact other students’ identifiers; segregate and release the rest.

Cost control: I elect inspection where it reduces charges (§552.272).

If you believe programming/manipulation is needed, identify the

specific tasks and provide the §552.231 form/time/cost statement.

Cap & schedule: Treat this as Phase-1 ≤$100 (no deposit). Please

confirm receipt and give a date/time for the first rolling batch of

non-exempt metadata.



Kevin Bass PhD MS

Phone: [REDACTED – HOME-PHONE]



On Fri, Oct 17, 2025 at 5:01 PM Staugaard, Bronte

<Bronte.Staugaard@ttu.edu> wrote:

>

> Good Afternoon,

>

>

>

> Texas Tech University System (TTUS) is in receipt of your Texas Public Information Act request below/attached.  However, TTUS seeks to discuss with you how the scope of your request might be narrowed and/or clarified pursuant to Texas Government Code § 552.222(b).  TTUS requests that you narrow or clarify the scope of your request as follows:

>

> Your request for all communications that discuss “students, COVID, or scientific/public-health topics” and the general terms you provided as examples—such as “science,” “scientific,” “epidemiology,” “virology,” and “public health” across numerous platforms (email, Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS messages, etc.) are overly broad. These terms may appear in countless routine communications from the custodians requested. Searching for these general terms from the custodians’ accounts and multiple communication platforms could result in an extremely high volume of initial results. Manually reviewing this massive volume to find metadata specifically related to the terms provided would result in significant costs to you.

> Additionally, the resulting metadata may contain personally identifiable information of other students. Because a search of this nature may involve sensitive student information, the responsive records may contain information that is confidential by law, specifically under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Releasing metadata for all emails and Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS messages that discuss or reference students, COVID, or scientific/public-health topics (e.g., science, scientific, epidemiology, virology, public health) from August 13, 2023, through December 13, 2023, may make it possible to identify confidential student information. Consequently, the extensive information requested could require significant manual review and redaction before any information could be released. This necessary process would result in significant costs to you.

> You may wish to consider narrowing the scope of your request to reduce these potential costs. For example, you could limit your request by doing the following:

>

> Refine Search Terms: Instead of general terms like “students, COVID, or scientific/public-health topics” and the general terms you provided as examples—such as “science,” “scientific,” “epidemiology,” “virology,” and “public health” please provide a more specific set of keywords related to a particular matter.

> Limit Platforms: Narrow your request to search university email only and exclude other collaboration and messaging platforms.

>

>

>

> Please simply respond to this request and let us know if you are willing to narrow/clarify the scope of your request in the manner suggested or in some other manner.  Please note that we may be required to send some information to the Texas Attorney General for review prior to release.  That process could take 2-3 months.  TTUS is required to inform you that if you do not respond to this request for narrowing/clarification within 61 days from the date of this request, your request will be considered withdrawn.

>

>

>

> Sincerely,

>

> Brontë C. Staugaard

>

> Assistant General Counsel

>

> Texas Tech University System

>

> (806) 742-2155

>

>

>

> This communication, including any attachments, originates from an Attorney and may contain confidential information and is intended only for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. Any review, dissemination, or copying of this communication by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail, delete and destroy all copies of the original message.

>

>

>

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

>

> From: Kevin Bass <kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com>

>

> Sent: Friday, October 3, 2025 12:27 AM

>

> To: Public Info <publicinfo@ttu.edu>

>

> Cc: Bentley, Eric <Eric.Bentley@ttu.edu>; Wall, Ronny <Ronny.Wall@ttu.edu>

>

> Subject: TPIA Request — Metadata: communications regarding students, COVID, or scientific/public-health topics (e.g., "science", "scientific", "epidemiology", "virology", "public health") to/from Dr. Deborah L. Birx (08/13/2023–12/13/2023)

>

>

>

> [You don't often get email from kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ]

>

>

>

> This email originated outside TTU. Please exercise caution<https://askit.ttu.edu/phishing>!

>

>

>

>

>

> To the Public Information Officer,

>

>

>

> Attached is my TPIA request seeking a metadata‑only export for emails and Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS that discuss or reference students, COVID, or scientific/public-health topics (e.g., science, scientific, epidemiology, virology, public health) (any format: email, Teams/SharePoint, Slack, IM, SMS/text) during the date range, limited to Dr. Deborah L. Birx (and assistants/delegates).

>

>

>

> Thank you,

>

>

>

> Kevin Bass PhD MS

>

> Phone: [REDACTED – HOME-PHONE]

Good Afternoon,



Attached please find a copy of the brief, which was sent to the Attorney General in response to your requests/clarifications and narrowings below and attached above.  Once we receive the opinion from the Attorney General, we will respond accordingly.



Sincerely,

Brontë C. Staugaard

Assistant General Counsel

Texas Tech University System

(806) 742-2155



This communication, including any attachments, originates from an Attorney and may contain confidential information and is intended only for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. Any review, dissemination, or copying of this communication by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail, delete and destroy all copies of the original message.



[cid:image001.png@01DC5DF6.EB1B11B0]



From: Staugaard, Bronte

Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2025 4:52 PM

To: kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com

Subject: RE: TPIA Request — Metadata for Targeted Communications (Designated Custodians)





Good Afternoon,







Texas Tech University System's (TTUS) response to your request/clarification and narrowing below and attached above is attached herein.  We have also attached a copy of the request for brief letter, which was sent to the Attorney General.  Once we receive the opinion from the Attorney General, we will respond accordingly.







Sincerely,



Brontë C. Staugaard



Assistant General Counsel



Texas Tech University System



(806) 742-2155







This communication, including any attachments, originates from an Attorney and may contain confidential information and is intended only for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. Any review, dissemination, or copying of this communication by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail, delete and destroy all copies of the original message.











-----Original Message-----

From: Kevin Bass <kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com<mailto:kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com>>

Sent: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 8:00 AM

To: Staugaard, Bronte <Bronte.Staugaard@ttu.edu<mailto:Bronte.Staugaard@ttu.edu>>

Subject: Re: TPIA Request — Metadata for Targeted Communications (Designated Custodians)







Brontë,







This responds to your Oct 17, 2025 clarification under §552.222.







Narrowing (Phase-1):



Platform: University email only (exclude Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS).



Custodians (5): Eric Bentley; Ronny Wall; William Webster; Amanda McSween; Beverly Muñoz.



Date range: Oct 3–Oct 31, 2025.



Search focus (metadata only): From, To, Cc, Bcc, Subject, Sent/Received date-time (UTC), Message-ID/Internet-Message-ID, thread/conversation ID, folder path, size, attachment count + filenames (no body text).



Terms (avoid broad “student”): “Kevin Norris Bass” OR “Kevin Bass” OR “kbassphiladelphia” OR “Preservation Notice” OR “P3” OR “SPPCC” OR “professionalism” OR “dismissal” OR “appeal” OR “name-clearing”.



FERPA: Redact other students’ identifiers; segregate and release the rest.



Cost control: I elect inspection where it reduces charges (§552.272).



If you believe programming/manipulation is needed, identify the specific tasks and provide the §552.231 form/time/cost statement.



Cap & schedule: Treat this as Phase-1 ≤$100 (no deposit). Please confirm receipt and give a date/time for the first rolling batch of non-exempt metadata.







Kevin Bass PhD MS



Phone: [REDACTED – HOME-PHONE]







On Fri, Oct 17, 2025 at 5:01 PM Staugaard, Bronte <Bronte.Staugaard@ttu.edu<mailto:Bronte.Staugaard@ttu.edu>> wrote:



>



> Good Afternoon,



>



>



>



> Texas Tech University System (TTUS) is in receipt of your Texas Public Information Act request below/attached.  However, TTUS seeks to discuss with you how the scope of your request might be narrowed and/or clarified pursuant to Texas Government Code § 552.222(b).  TTUS requests that you narrow or clarify the scope of your request as follows:



>



> Your request seeks metadata for all emails across a significant number of custodians and numerous platforms (emails, Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS messages, etc.) over a 28-month period. A search of this magnitude could result in significant costs to you.



> Further, your request asks us to search for the general terms “medical student” and “student.” These terms are overly broad and may appear in countless routine communications across the requested custodians. Searching for these general terms across this many custodians’ accounts and multiple communication platforms could result in an extremely high volume of initial results. Manually reviewing this massive volume to find metadata specifically related to the terms provided would result in significant costs to you.



> Additionally, because the term “student” and “medical student” is a search criterion, the resulting metadata may contain personally identifiable information of other students. Because a search of this nature may involve sensitive student information, the responsive records may contain information that is confidential by law, specifically under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Releasing metadata for all emails and Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS messages referencing “student” or “medical student” from June 1, 2023, through October 2, 2025, may make it possible to identify confidential student information. Consequently, extensive information over a 28-month period could require significant manual review and redaction before any information could be released. This necessary process would result in significant costs to you.



> You may wish to consider narrowing the scope of your request to reduce these potential costs. For example, you could limit your request by doing the following:



>



>



>



> Refine Search Terms: Remove the overly broad terms ‘medical student’ and ‘student’.



> Reduce Custodians: Limit your request to only 2-3 individuals directly involved in your student proceedings instead of numerous custodians.



> Narrow the Timeframe: Narrow the 28-month period to a more relevant period, such as a single semester or academic year.



> Limit Platforms: Narrow your request to search university email only and exclude other collaboration and messaging platforms.



>



>



>



> Please simply respond to this request and let us know if you are willing to narrow/clarify the scope of your request in the manner suggested or in some other manner.  Please note that we may be required to send some information to the Texas Attorney General for review prior to release.  That process could take 2-3 months.  TTUS is required to inform you that if you do not respond to this request for narrowing/clarification within 61 days from the date of this request, your request will be considered withdrawn.



>



>



>



> Sincerely,



>



> Brontë C. Staugaard



>



> Assistant General Counsel



>



> Texas Tech University System



>



> (806) 742-2155



>



>



>



> This communication, including any attachments, originates from an Attorney and may contain confidential information and is intended only for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. Any review, dissemination, or copying of this communication by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail, delete and destroy all copies of the original message.



>



>



>



>



>



> -----Original Message-----



>



> From: Kevin Bass <kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com<mailto:kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com>>



>



> Sent: Friday, October 3, 2025 12:20 AM



>



> To: Public Info <publicinfo@ttu.edu<mailto:publicinfo@ttu.edu>>



>



> Cc: Bentley, Eric <Eric.Bentley@ttu.edu<mailto:Eric.Bentley@ttu.edu>>; Wall, Ronny



> <Ronny.Wall@ttu.edu<mailto:Ronny.Wall@ttu.edu>>



>



> Subject: TPIA Request — Metadata for Targeted Communications



> (Designated Custodians)



>



>



>



> [You don't often get email from kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com<mailto:kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com>. Learn why



> this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ]



>



>



>



> This email originated outside TTU. Please exercise caution<https://askit.ttu.edu/phishing>!



>



>



>



>



>



> To the Public Information Officer,



>



>



>



> Attached is my TPIA request seeking a metadata‑only export for emails and Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS referencing my name or any of the terms in the attached document within the date range noted, for the custodians listed. Please apply the scope, platform, redactions/withholding, and narrowing/cost terms as in the attached letter.



>



>



>



> Thank you,



>



> Kevin Bass



>



> kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com<mailto:kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com> | [REDACTED – HOME-PHONE]

Brontë,



This responds to your Oct 17, 2025 clarification under §552.222.



Narrowing (Phase-1):

Platform: University email only (exclude Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS).

Custodians (5): Eric Bentley; Ronny Wall; William Webster; Amanda

McSween; Beverly Muñoz.

Date range: Oct 3–Oct 31, 2025.

Search focus (metadata only): From, To, Cc, Bcc, Subject,

Sent/Received date-time (UTC), Message-ID/Internet-Message-ID,

thread/conversation ID, folder path, size, attachment count +

filenames (no body text).

Terms (avoid broad “student”): “Kevin Norris Bass” OR “Kevin Bass” OR

“kbassphiladelphia” OR “Preservation Notice” OR “P3” OR “SPPCC” OR

“professionalism” OR “dismissal” OR “appeal” OR “name-clearing”.

FERPA: Redact other students’ identifiers; segregate and release the rest.

Cost control: I elect inspection where it reduces charges (§552.272).

If you believe programming/manipulation is needed, identify the

specific tasks and provide the §552.231 form/time/cost statement.

Cap & schedule: Treat this as Phase-1 ≤$100 (no deposit). Please

confirm receipt and give a date/time for the first rolling batch of

non-exempt metadata.



Kevin Bass PhD MS

Phone: [REDACTED – HOME-PHONE]



On Fri, Oct 17, 2025 at 5:01 PM Staugaard, Bronte

<Bronte.Staugaard@ttu.edu> wrote:

>

> Good Afternoon,

>

>

>

> Texas Tech University System (TTUS) is in receipt of your Texas Public Information Act request below/attached.  However, TTUS seeks to discuss with you how the scope of your request might be narrowed and/or clarified pursuant to Texas Government Code § 552.222(b).  TTUS requests that you narrow or clarify the scope of your request as follows:

>

> Your request for all communications that discuss “students, COVID, or scientific/public-health topics” and the general terms you provided as examples—such as “science,” “scientific,” “epidemiology,” “virology,” and “public health” across numerous platforms (email, Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS messages, etc.) are overly broad. These terms may appear in countless routine communications from the custodians requested. Searching for these general terms from the custodians’ accounts and multiple communication platforms could result in an extremely high volume of initial results. Manually reviewing this massive volume to find metadata specifically related to the terms provided would result in significant costs to you.

> Additionally, the resulting metadata may contain personally identifiable information of other students. Because a search of this nature may involve sensitive student information, the responsive records may contain information that is confidential by law, specifically under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Releasing metadata for all emails and Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS messages that discuss or reference students, COVID, or scientific/public-health topics (e.g., science, scientific, epidemiology, virology, public health) from August 13, 2023, through December 13, 2023, may make it possible to identify confidential student information. Consequently, the extensive information requested could require significant manual review and redaction before any information could be released. This necessary process would result in significant costs to you.

> You may wish to consider narrowing the scope of your request to reduce these potential costs. For example, you could limit your request by doing the following:

>

> Refine Search Terms: Instead of general terms like “students, COVID, or scientific/public-health topics” and the general terms you provided as examples—such as “science,” “scientific,” “epidemiology,” “virology,” and “public health” please provide a more specific set of keywords related to a particular matter.

> Limit Platforms: Narrow your request to search university email only and exclude other collaboration and messaging platforms.

>

>

>

> Please simply respond to this request and let us know if you are willing to narrow/clarify the scope of your request in the manner suggested or in some other manner.  Please note that we may be required to send some information to the Texas Attorney General for review prior to release.  That process could take 2-3 months.  TTUS is required to inform you that if you do not respond to this request for narrowing/clarification within 61 days from the date of this request, your request will be considered withdrawn.

>

>

>

> Sincerely,

>

> Brontë C. Staugaard

>

> Assistant General Counsel

>

> Texas Tech University System

>

> (806) 742-2155

>

>

>

> This communication, including any attachments, originates from an Attorney and may contain confidential information and is intended only for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. Any review, dissemination, or copying of this communication by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail, delete and destroy all copies of the original message.

>

>

>

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

>

> From: Kevin Bass <kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com>

>

> Sent: Friday, October 3, 2025 12:27 AM

>

> To: Public Info <publicinfo@ttu.edu>

>

> Cc: Bentley, Eric <Eric.Bentley@ttu.edu>; Wall, Ronny <Ronny.Wall@ttu.edu>

>

> Subject: TPIA Request — Metadata: communications regarding students, COVID, or scientific/public-health topics (e.g., "science", "scientific", "epidemiology", "virology", "public health") to/from Dr. Deborah L. Birx (08/13/2023–12/13/2023)

>

>

>

> [You don't often get email from kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ]

>

>

>

> This email originated outside TTU. Please exercise caution<https://askit.ttu.edu/phishing>!

>

>

>

>

>

> To the Public Information Officer,

>

>

>

> Attached is my TPIA request seeking a metadata‑only export for emails and Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS that discuss or reference students, COVID, or scientific/public-health topics (e.g., science, scientific, epidemiology, virology, public health) (any format: email, Teams/SharePoint, Slack, IM, SMS/text) during the date range, limited to Dr. Deborah L. Birx (and assistants/delegates).

>

>

>

> Thank you,

>

>

>

> Kevin Bass PhD MS

>

> Phone: [REDACTED – HOME-PHONE]

Counsel Staugaard,

Pursuant to Tex. Gov’t Code § 552.304(b), please find attached a copy of
the requestor comments I submitted today to the Office of the Attorney
General in TTUS File Nos. 2025‑812 and 2025‑813 (OAG Tracking No.
[REDACTED – DL]), together with a short cover note.

The comments focus on the email-header metadata spreadsheets submitted as
Exhibit “E” to TTUS’s November 25, 2025 brief to the Attorney General, and
explain my position that non-privileged, header-level metadata should be
segregated and released, with any FERPA or § 552.137 concerns addressed by
targeted redaction rather than wholesale withholding.

Thank you for your attention to this and for your continued correspondence
regarding my PIA and FERPA matters.

Best regards,
Kevin Bass PhD MS
Phone: *[REDACTED – HOME-PHONE]*


On Tue, Nov 25, 2025 at 1:23 PM Staugaard, Bronte <Bronte.Staugaard@ttu.edu>
wrote:

> Good Afternoon,
>
>
>
> Attached please find a copy of the brief, which was sent to the Attorney
> General in response to your requests/clarifications and narrowings below
> and attached above.  Once we receive the opinion from the Attorney General,
> we will respond accordingly.
>
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Brontë C. Staugaard
>
> Assistant General Counsel
>
> Texas Tech University System
>
> (806) 742-2155
>
>
>
> This communication, including any attachments, originates from an Attorney
> and may contain confidential information and is intended only for the
> individual or entity to whom it is addressed. Any review, dissemination, or
> copying of this communication by anyone other than the intended recipient
> is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please
> contact the sender by reply e-mail, delete and destroy all copies of the
> original message.
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* Staugaard, Bronte
> *Sent:* Tuesday, November 18, 2025 4:52 PM
> *To:* kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com
> *Subject:* RE: TPIA Request — Metadata for Targeted Communications
> (Designated Custodians)
>
>
>
> Good Afternoon,
>
>
>
> Texas Tech University System's (TTUS) response to your
> request/clarification and narrowing below and attached above is attached
> herein.  We have also attached a copy of the request for brief letter,
> which was sent to the Attorney General.  Once we receive the opinion from
> the Attorney General, we will respond accordingly.
>
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Brontë C. Staugaard
>
> Assistant General Counsel
>
> Texas Tech University System
>
> (806) 742-2155
>
>
>
> This communication, including any attachments, originates from an Attorney
> and may contain confidential information and is intended only for the
> individual or entity to whom it is addressed. Any review, dissemination, or
> copying of this communication by anyone other than the intended recipient
> is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please
> contact the sender by reply e-mail, delete and destroy all copies of the
> original message.
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kevin Bass <kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 8:00 AM
> To: Staugaard, Bronte <Bronte.Staugaard@ttu.edu>
> Subject: Re: TPIA Request — Metadata for Targeted Communications
> (Designated Custodians)
>
>
>
> Brontë,
>
>
>
> This responds to your Oct 17, 2025 clarification under §552.222.
>
>
>
> Narrowing (Phase-1):
>
> Platform: University email only (exclude Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS).
>
> Custodians (5): Eric Bentley; Ronny Wall; William Webster; Amanda McSween;
> Beverly Muñoz.
>
> Date range: Oct 3–Oct 31, 2025.
>
> Search focus (metadata only): From, To, Cc, Bcc, Subject, Sent/Received
> date-time (UTC), Message-ID/Internet-Message-ID, thread/conversation ID,
> folder path, size, attachment count + filenames (no body text).
>
> Terms (avoid broad “student”): “Kevin Norris Bass” OR “Kevin Bass” OR
> “kbassphiladelphia” OR “Preservation Notice” OR “P3” OR “SPPCC” OR
> “professionalism” OR “dismissal” OR “appeal” OR “name-clearing”.
>
> FERPA: Redact other students’ identifiers; segregate and release the rest.
>
> Cost control: I elect inspection where it reduces charges (§552.272).
>
> If you believe programming/manipulation is needed, identify the specific
> tasks and provide the §552.231 form/time/cost statement.
>
> Cap & schedule: Treat this as Phase-1 ≤$100 (no deposit). Please confirm
> receipt and give a date/time for the first rolling batch of non-exempt
> metadata.
>
>
>
> Kevin Bass PhD MS
>
> Phone: [REDACTED – HOME-PHONE]
>
>
>
> On Fri, Oct 17, 2025 at 5:01 PM Staugaard, Bronte <
> Bronte.Staugaard@ttu.edu> wrote:
>
> >
>
> > Good Afternoon,
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Texas Tech University System (TTUS) is in receipt of your Texas Public
> Information Act request below/attached.  However, TTUS seeks to discuss
> with you how the scope of your request might be narrowed and/or clarified
> pursuant to Texas Government Code § 552.222(b).  TTUS requests that you
> narrow or clarify the scope of your request as follows:
>
> >
>
> > Your request seeks metadata for all emails across a significant number
> of custodians and numerous platforms (emails, Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS
> messages, etc.) over a 28-month period. A search of this magnitude could
> result in significant costs to you.
>
> > Further, your request asks us to search for the general terms “medical
> student” and “student.” These terms are overly broad and may appear in
> countless routine communications across the requested custodians. Searching
> for these general terms across this many custodians’ accounts and multiple
> communication platforms could result in an extremely high volume of initial
> results. Manually reviewing this massive volume to find metadata
> specifically related to the terms provided would result in significant
> costs to you.
>
> > Additionally, because the term “student” and “medical student” is a
> search criterion, the resulting metadata may contain personally
> identifiable information of other students. Because a search of this nature
> may involve sensitive student information, the responsive records may
> contain information that is confidential by law, specifically under the
> Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Releasing metadata for
> all emails and Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS messages referencing “student”
> or “medical student” from June 1, 2023, through October 2, 2025, may make
> it possible to identify confidential student information. Consequently,
> extensive information over a 28-month period could require significant
> manual review and redaction before any information could be released. This
> necessary process would result in significant costs to you.
>
> > You may wish to consider narrowing the scope of your request to reduce
> these potential costs. For example, you could limit your request by doing
> the following:
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Refine Search Terms: Remove the overly broad terms ‘medical student’ and
> ‘student’.
>
> > Reduce Custodians: Limit your request to only 2-3 individuals directly
> involved in your student proceedings instead of numerous custodians.
>
> > Narrow the Timeframe: Narrow the 28-month period to a more relevant
> period, such as a single semester or academic year.
>
> > Limit Platforms: Narrow your request to search university email only and
> exclude other collaboration and messaging platforms.
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Please simply respond to this request and let us know if you are willing
> to narrow/clarify the scope of your request in the manner suggested or in
> some other manner.  Please note that we may be required to send some
> information to the Texas Attorney General for review prior to release.
> That process could take 2-3 months.  TTUS is required to inform you that if
> you do not respond to this request for narrowing/clarification within 61
> days from the date of this request, your request will be considered
> withdrawn.
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Sincerely,
>
> >
>
> > Brontë C. Staugaard
>
> >
>
> > Assistant General Counsel
>
> >
>
> > Texas Tech University System
>
> >
>
> > (806) 742-2155
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > This communication, including any attachments, originates from an
> Attorney and may contain confidential information and is intended only for
> the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. Any review,
> dissemination, or copying of this communication by anyone other than the
> intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended
> recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail, delete and destroy
> all copies of the original message.
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > -----Original Message-----
>
> >
>
> > From: Kevin Bass <kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com>
>
> >
>
> > Sent: Friday, October 3, 2025 12:20 AM
>
> >
>
> > To: Public Info <publicinfo@ttu.edu>
>
> >
>
> > Cc: Bentley, Eric <Eric.Bentley@ttu.edu>; Wall, Ronny
>
> > <Ronny.Wall@ttu.edu>
>
> >
>
> > Subject: TPIA Request — Metadata for Targeted Communications
>
> > (Designated Custodians)
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > [You don't often get email from kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com. Learn why
>
> > this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ]
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > This email originated outside TTU. Please exercise caution<
> https://askit.ttu.edu/phishing>!
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > To the Public Information Officer,
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Attached is my TPIA request seeking a metadata‑only export for emails
> and Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS referencing my name or any of the terms
> in the attached document within the date range noted, for the custodians
> listed. Please apply the scope, platform, redactions/withholding, and
> narrowing/cost terms as in the attached letter.
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Thank you,
>
> >
>
> > Kevin Bass
>
> >
>
> > kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com | [REDACTED – HOME-PHONE]
>

Counsel Staugaard,

Pursuant to Tex. Gov’t Code § 552.304(b), please find attached a courtesy
copy of the *supplemental* requestor comments I submitted today to the
Office of the Attorney General in *TTUS File Nos. 2025-812 and 2025-813
(OAG ID No. [REDACTED – DL])*.

The attachment consists of the cover letter to the Open Records Division
and my § 552.304 comments responding to TTUS’s November 25, 2025 brief
regarding the email-metadata spreadsheets (Exhibit E). These comments
*supplement,
and do not withdraw or modify,* my earlier § 552.304 comments in the same
file.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Kevin Bass PhD MS
Phone: *[REDACTED – HOME-PHONE]*


On Wed, Nov 26, 2025 at 10:58 AM Kevin Bass <kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Counsel Staugaard,
>
> Pursuant to Tex. Gov’t Code § 552.304(b), please find attached a copy of
> the requestor comments I submitted today to the Office of the Attorney
> General in TTUS File Nos. 2025‑812 and 2025‑813 (OAG Tracking No.
> [REDACTED – DL]), together with a short cover note.
>
> The comments focus on the email-header metadata spreadsheets submitted as
> Exhibit “E” to TTUS’s November 25, 2025 brief to the Attorney General, and
> explain my position that non-privileged, header-level metadata should be
> segregated and released, with any FERPA or § 552.137 concerns addressed by
> targeted redaction rather than wholesale withholding.
>
> Thank you for your attention to this and for your continued correspondence
> regarding my PIA and FERPA matters.
>
> Best regards,
> Kevin Bass PhD MS
> Phone: *[REDACTED – HOME-PHONE]*
>
>
> On Tue, Nov 25, 2025 at 1:23 PM Staugaard, Bronte <
> Bronte.Staugaard@ttu.edu> wrote:
>
>> Good Afternoon,
>>
>>
>>
>> Attached please find a copy of the brief, which was sent to the Attorney
>> General in response to your requests/clarifications and narrowings below
>> and attached above.  Once we receive the opinion from the Attorney General,
>> we will respond accordingly.
>>
>>
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Brontë C. Staugaard
>>
>> Assistant General Counsel
>>
>> Texas Tech University System
>>
>> (806) 742-2155
>>
>>
>>
>> This communication, including any attachments, originates from an
>> Attorney and may contain confidential information and is intended only for
>> the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. Any review,
>> dissemination, or copying of this communication by anyone other than the
>> intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended
>> recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail, delete and destroy
>> all copies of the original message.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* Staugaard, Bronte
>> *Sent:* Tuesday, November 18, 2025 4:52 PM
>> *To:* kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com
>> *Subject:* RE: TPIA Request — Metadata for Targeted Communications
>> (Designated Custodians)
>>
>>
>>
>> Good Afternoon,
>>
>>
>>
>> Texas Tech University System's (TTUS) response to your
>> request/clarification and narrowing below and attached above is attached
>> herein.  We have also attached a copy of the request for brief letter,
>> which was sent to the Attorney General.  Once we receive the opinion from
>> the Attorney General, we will respond accordingly.
>>
>>
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Brontë C. Staugaard
>>
>> Assistant General Counsel
>>
>> Texas Tech University System
>>
>> (806) 742-2155
>>
>>
>>
>> This communication, including any attachments, originates from an
>> Attorney and may contain confidential information and is intended only for
>> the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. Any review,
>> dissemination, or copying of this communication by anyone other than the
>> intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended
>> recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail, delete and destroy
>> all copies of the original message.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Kevin Bass <kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com>
>> Sent: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 8:00 AM
>> To: Staugaard, Bronte <Bronte.Staugaard@ttu.edu>
>> Subject: Re: TPIA Request — Metadata for Targeted Communications
>> (Designated Custodians)
>>
>>
>>
>> Brontë,
>>
>>
>>
>> This responds to your Oct 17, 2025 clarification under §552.222.
>>
>>
>>
>> Narrowing (Phase-1):
>>
>> Platform: University email only (exclude Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS).
>>
>> Custodians (5): Eric Bentley; Ronny Wall; William Webster; Amanda
>> McSween; Beverly Muñoz.
>>
>> Date range: Oct 3–Oct 31, 2025.
>>
>> Search focus (metadata only): From, To, Cc, Bcc, Subject, Sent/Received
>> date-time (UTC), Message-ID/Internet-Message-ID, thread/conversation ID,
>> folder path, size, attachment count + filenames (no body text).
>>
>> Terms (avoid broad “student”): “Kevin Norris Bass” OR “Kevin Bass” OR
>> “kbassphiladelphia” OR “Preservation Notice” OR “P3” OR “SPPCC” OR
>> “professionalism” OR “dismissal” OR “appeal” OR “name-clearing”.
>>
>> FERPA: Redact other students’ identifiers; segregate and release the rest.
>>
>> Cost control: I elect inspection where it reduces charges (§552.272).
>>
>> If you believe programming/manipulation is needed, identify the specific
>> tasks and provide the §552.231 form/time/cost statement.
>>
>> Cap & schedule: Treat this as Phase-1 ≤$100 (no deposit). Please confirm
>> receipt and give a date/time for the first rolling batch of non-exempt
>> metadata.
>>
>>
>>
>> Kevin Bass PhD MS
>>
>> Phone: [REDACTED – HOME-PHONE]
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Oct 17, 2025 at 5:01 PM Staugaard, Bronte <
>> Bronte.Staugaard@ttu.edu> wrote:
>>
>> >
>>
>> > Good Afternoon,
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> > Texas Tech University System (TTUS) is in receipt of your Texas Public
>> Information Act request below/attached.  However, TTUS seeks to discuss
>> with you how the scope of your request might be narrowed and/or clarified
>> pursuant to Texas Government Code § 552.222(b).  TTUS requests that you
>> narrow or clarify the scope of your request as follows:
>>
>> >
>>
>> > Your request seeks metadata for all emails across a significant number
>> of custodians and numerous platforms (emails, Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS
>> messages, etc.) over a 28-month period. A search of this magnitude could
>> result in significant costs to you.
>>
>> > Further, your request asks us to search for the general terms “medical
>> student” and “student.” These terms are overly broad and may appear in
>> countless routine communications across the requested custodians. Searching
>> for these general terms across this many custodians’ accounts and multiple
>> communication platforms could result in an extremely high volume of initial
>> results. Manually reviewing this massive volume to find metadata
>> specifically related to the terms provided would result in significant
>> costs to you.
>>
>> > Additionally, because the term “student” and “medical student” is a
>> search criterion, the resulting metadata may contain personally
>> identifiable information of other students. Because a search of this nature
>> may involve sensitive student information, the responsive records may
>> contain information that is confidential by law, specifically under the
>> Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Releasing metadata for
>> all emails and Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS messages referencing “student”
>> or “medical student” from June 1, 2023, through October 2, 2025, may make
>> it possible to identify confidential student information. Consequently,
>> extensive information over a 28-month period could require significant
>> manual review and redaction before any information could be released. This
>> necessary process would result in significant costs to you.
>>
>> > You may wish to consider narrowing the scope of your request to reduce
>> these potential costs. For example, you could limit your request by doing
>> the following:
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> > Refine Search Terms: Remove the overly broad terms ‘medical student’
>> and ‘student’.
>>
>> > Reduce Custodians: Limit your request to only 2-3 individuals directly
>> involved in your student proceedings instead of numerous custodians.
>>
>> > Narrow the Timeframe: Narrow the 28-month period to a more relevant
>> period, such as a single semester or academic year.
>>
>> > Limit Platforms: Narrow your request to search university email only
>> and exclude other collaboration and messaging platforms.
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> > Please simply respond to this request and let us know if you are
>> willing to narrow/clarify the scope of your request in the manner suggested
>> or in some other manner.  Please note that we may be required to send some
>> information to the Texas Attorney General for review prior to release.
>> That process could take 2-3 months.  TTUS is required to inform you that if
>> you do not respond to this request for narrowing/clarification within 61
>> days from the date of this request, your request will be considered
>> withdrawn.
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> > Sincerely,
>>
>> >
>>
>> > Brontë C. Staugaard
>>
>> >
>>
>> > Assistant General Counsel
>>
>> >
>>
>> > Texas Tech University System
>>
>> >
>>
>> > (806) 742-2155
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> > This communication, including any attachments, originates from an
>> Attorney and may contain confidential information and is intended only for
>> the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. Any review,
>> dissemination, or copying of this communication by anyone other than the
>> intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended
>> recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail, delete and destroy
>> all copies of the original message.
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> > -----Original Message-----
>>
>> >
>>
>> > From: Kevin Bass <kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com>
>>
>> >
>>
>> > Sent: Friday, October 3, 2025 12:20 AM
>>
>> >
>>
>> > To: Public Info <publicinfo@ttu.edu>
>>
>> >
>>
>> > Cc: Bentley, Eric <Eric.Bentley@ttu.edu>; Wall, Ronny
>>
>> > <Ronny.Wall@ttu.edu>
>>
>> >
>>
>> > Subject: TPIA Request — Metadata for Targeted Communications
>>
>> > (Designated Custodians)
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> > [You don't often get email from kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com. Learn why
>>
>> > this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ]
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> > This email originated outside TTU. Please exercise caution<
>> https://askit.ttu.edu/phishing>!
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> > To the Public Information Officer,
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> > Attached is my TPIA request seeking a metadata‑only export for emails
>> and Teams/SharePoint/Slack/IM/SMS referencing my name or any of the terms
>> in the attached document within the date range noted, for the custodians
>> listed. Please apply the scope, platform, redactions/withholding, and
>> narrowing/cost terms as in the attached letter.
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> > Thank you,
>>
>> >
>>
>> > Kevin Bass
>>
>> >
>>
>> > kbassphiladelphia@gmail.com | [REDACTED – HOME-PHONE]
>>
>