College sought to keep attorney from renting room

TEXAS CITY — College of the Mainland’s president acknowledged that he tried to find a way to prevent an attorney who is suing BP from renting out a college facility to hold an information meeting. Michael Elam said he looked into his options after some pro-industry residents complained the event was a front for client recruitment.

Attorney Chad Pinkerton is among a dozen lawyers who have filed lawsuits against BP on behalf of clients who claim they suffer from ill health effects because of a 40-day emissions event at BP’s Texas City refinery. During that release that started in April, more than 500,000 pounds of pollutants were released after a subunit on the refinery’s ultracracker malfunctioned.

Pinkerton rented space on the College of the Mainland campus to hold what he claims is an informational seminar Thursday about the BP emissions event. He also is scheduled to talk about the litigation and the status of the case against BP, according to his advertisement.

If those attending are interested, they can fill out paperwork to join the class action lawsuit and even seek out medical treatment for any ailments they think are related to the emissions event.

Pinkerton denies the meeting is an attempt at a direct solicitation of clients, even as his advertisements for the event promote that residents might be eligible to file a claim against BP.

Jose Boix, an outspoken critic of the lawsuits and one of the leaders of the industry-friendly Texas City-La Marque Community Advisory Council, objects to Pinkerton’s meetings being held on the college campus. He said he opposes a for-profit company using public facilities to attract clients.

In an e-mail sent during the weekend, Boix encouraged residents to voice objections to the meeting at College of the Mainland’s board of trustees meeting that was Monday. While on the campus, the meeting is not sponsored by the college.

COM is renting the space to Pinkerton for $290.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate for a publicly funded education institution allowing something presented from a for-profit group to be presented on the campus,” Boix said. “It should be reserved for educational programs only.”

Boix said he didn’t object to law firms renting out facilities owned by the city, because he considers those “public facilities.”

“I would object if this were at College of the Mainland or Texas City (schools),” Boix said. “I’d object if it was BP doing something out there that was for profit and not educational.”

Boix obviously wasn’t alone. Elam received dozens of complaints about the session and as a result took the unusual step of addressing the Rotary Club of Texas City’s membership Tuesday on the subject, he said.

Given the complaints and impression the college somehow supported the lawsuit against BP, administrators went to the college’s legal department to find whether “there was any legal way to deny them access,” Elam told the Rotarians. “As a public institution, with policies on the books ... we were advised we cannot deny them the ability to rent the space.”

Elam told the group the college was looking at ways to revise the policies that would allow the college president to deny a group access if the meeting or seminar “was not in the best interest of the college or the community.”

Elam also contacted BP officials to distance the college from Pinkerton’s meeting and to reiterate the college “in no way supports what they are doing.” In addition to the millions in property taxes collected by the college from petrochemical facilities, BP is a major donor to the college’s process technology program and the COM Foundation.

Pinkerton said he was flabbergasted that his meeting was coming under fire, especially since he had rented the space at the college 10 other times without objection.

“It saddens me that the powers-that-be in Texas City would have a problem with educating the community what’s going on,” he said. “That’s why I have meetings, so I can answer questions and talk about the subject matter.”

Pinkerton pointed to strict legal guidelines that prevent him from directly soliciting clients. He said his sessions start with a 10- to 15-minute presentation about air quality and pollution statistics in the community followed by a 10- to 15-minute question-and-answer session.

“If after hearing my presentation someone wants to hire me, that’s their prerogative,” Pinkerton said. “I am a lawyer. I have a lot of information about these companies and I can share that with whoever I want.

“It’s just crazy to me that some think what I am doing is a bad idea. Why didn’t they call me after the first 10 times I did it. If (Elam) had called me and asked me to move it somewhere else, I would have moved it.”

Not now, though, Pinkerton said since he already has heavily promoted Thursday’s event.