On May 18, 2026 at 4:30 PM Central, Allen Independent School District sent LION a clarification request under Texas Government Code §552.222 — the provision of the Texas Public Information Act (Texas Government Code Chapter 552, the state law giving residents the right to request public records) that lets a governmental body ask a requestor to clarify or discuss narrowing a request. The email covered all six records requests LION filed with the district on May 4, 2026: ALLENISD-PIA-003 through ALLENISD-PIA-008.

Each of the six requests was characterized in the district’s email as “overly broad” and “voluminous.” LION was asked to do two things: narrow each request, and consent to the district redacting material it considered confidential without seeking a ruling from the Texas Attorney General. Under Chapter 552, when a governmental body wishes to withhold information it believes is excepted from disclosure, the ordinary procedure is to request a decision from the Attorney General under §552.301. A requestor’s consent to redactions short-circuits that review.

LION responded the same evening. For five of the six requests — ALLENISD-PIA-003, ALLENISD-PIA-004, ALLENISD-PIA-005, ALLENISD-PIA-007, and ALLENISD-PIA-008 — LION declined to narrow the request and asked the district to proceed with production. Each of those five was filed with item-by-item scoping that named record categories, date ranges, and, where applicable, specific custodians.

A partial voluntary narrowing was offered on ALLENISD-PIA-006 alone, and only on Item 3 of that request — communications directing or recommending removal of library materials. Item 3 was narrowed to ten named library and administrative custodians and to a date floor of January 1, 2024. Items 1, 2, and 4 of PIA-006 were left as filed.

LION declined to consent to redactions without an Attorney General ruling. The response cited the Texas Public Information Act’s procedural framework for asserting exemptions, and noted that disputed exemptions are reviewed by the Attorney General under §552.301 rather than by the governmental body acting on its own.

Corrections to anything stated here can be sent to corrections@lionwatchtx.org.