On the morning of March 1, The Texas Tribune broke the news that some UT donors were threatening to rescind large donations unless the University authoritatively acted in support of the alma mater song “The Eyes of Texas,” a controversial song with racist roots.

Based on emails obtained from a public records request, the story featured multiple quotes from donors who were “calling on the university to take a heavier hand with students and athletes they believed were disrespecting university tradition by protesting it.”

The names of some of these donors were initially redacted, but it’s crucial now for UT to recognize that the students and athletes supposedly in need of this “heavier hand” deserve to know who requested it. 

UT must request the release of these donor names.

J.B. Bird, the director of media relations and newsroom for University Communications, said source names were redacted because of open record laws. 

“Donor names are only disclosed around specific gifts either by the donor or by the University with the donor’s permission,” Bird said. 

While there are legal formalities that have to be taken into consideration, it still seems like UT is hiding behind the open records law to avoid releasing the names behind these emails. According to the Public Information Act Handbook from the Office of the Attorney General of Texas, entities like UT can request an exception to this law in certain situations.

I’m not a legal expert. It is not my job to figure out how UT can get around this law. However, it is UT’s responsibility to take the extra step, such as requesting exceptions from the open records law, to support and protect its students. If these donors felt comfortable emailing the University and threatening to withdraw their financial support, the UT community has the right to know their names.

“They’re never going to get to the root of the issue until they begin to revolutionize who they’re accepting donations from and how they’re holding organizations and people accountable,” said Xavier Ingram, radio-television-film freshman. “We want true representation and inclusion and to feel welcomed in a space that we don’t feel welcomed in.” 

“The vast majority of our 540,000 proud Longhorn alumni actively and enthusiastically partner with us …,” President Jay Hartzell said in an email sent to the student body last week. “They want to support you. And, they join me in condemning racism of any kind.” 

While that may be true, it begs the question of why the University remains persistent in protecting the identities of these other donors if they’re so few in number. A potential loss of income due to the withdrawal of donations is a small price to pay for supporting students of color.  

“When it comes to being on the side of what’s right or wrong, I think UT prioritizes legality and how they can save themselves from a lawsuit,” UT alumna Paula Mofor said. “Students should be privy to this information. Those adults knew what they were writing, and it’s not too much to ask them to stand on that.” 

When UT was faced with the decision between protecting donors or supporting Black students, it opted for the choice that would guarantee financial security. If UT truly cares about its students, it would find a way to legally release the names of the people who sent these emails.

It’s crucial for UT to grant students the information that directly affects their current and future relationships with UT donors who fund the teams, organizations and scholarships available to them. 

Hill is a journalism freshman from El Paso, Texas.