The University of Texas regents had a closed-door session last week to talk about laying off 3,800 people at the UT-run Galveston medical center. The Texas Daily Newspaper Association has written them to complain that the meeting may have broken the state sunshine law, and the university's faculty group says it may sue.

From the Houston Chronicle story by reporter Janet Elliott:

While governing boards are allowed to discuss actions against individual employees in closed sessions, a 1975 attorney general's opinion said deliberations about a class of employees must be held in an open session ...

UT officials said they followed the law in using an executive session to be advised by lawyers on reducing the workforce at the state's oldest medical school, which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ike. They said no decision to order the reduction in force was made in executive session.

If you've got questions about the state sunshine law not being followed in your town, check out the open meetings handbook on the state attorney general's Web site.

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