Something Tells Me It’s All Happening at the Zoo… Private Institutions and Public Funding
Edward L. Birk Mar 21, 2023 in Media Law
When you mix private institutions and public funding, the question often arises: At what point does a private company become subject to public records law? We’ve asked this question before. Now we see another example playing out in Ohio. A construction company filed a public records lawsuit against the Columbus Zoo. The two entities recently settled the dispute out of court. The construction company had requested records after its no-bid contract with the zoo came […]
Continue ReadingNews Station Sues to Expose Local Agency Public Records Neglect in New Orleans
Edward L. Birk Mar 16, 2023 in Media Law
Sometimes news organizations are digging for public records to aid in a larger exposé that can affect people’s lives in a very material way – like compensation for medical or repair expenses. In New Orleans, the news station Fox 8 has filed suit against the city Sewerage & Water Board for public records neglect over records pertaining to personal injury and property damage settlements and judgments. The judgments and settlements have been reached for accidents […]
Continue ReadingColleges and universities that receive public funds are subject to open records law. Are there any limits? At Oklahoma University, NonDoc Media and their editor-in-chief, Tres Savage, have been engaged in a struggle with OU’s petition for a protective order. The goal of the protective order: To keep certain documents from an investigation unpublished – and out of the public eye. The investigation deals with sexual harassment allegations from 2019 against a former OU coach […]
Continue ReadingDid PETA Public Records Suit Misreport OSHU’s Behavior or Hold them Accountable?
Edward L. Birk Mar 7, 2023 in Media Law
Does a public records suit always conform to a good guy vs. bad guy narrative? Is the requester always the hero, and the public entity is always the villain? Of course, it’s not that black and white. Public records laws were created to support government transparency and enshrine noble causes of democracy. But the flip side of that is: many government institution records are open to the public, to be requested, received, seen, and used […]
Continue ReadingPrivate Donations to Public Universities = Public Records?
Edward L. Birk Mar 2, 2023 in Public Records
There have been numerous cases lately regarding what records should be considered public versus private when public officials or funds are involved. Here’s an interesting corner of that larger question: have you ever wondered if large private donations to public schools fall under the scrutiny of public records? In Michigan, the Detroit Free Press has been confronting a records denial from Michigan State University for two large donor agreements – contracts which MSU has withheld, […]
Continue ReadingWhen Government Officials Use Private Texts and Emails
Edward L. Birk Feb 16, 2023 in Public Records
Are you allowed to read the private texts and emails of public officials? Absolutely, if they count as public records. With the advent of smartphones and laptops, personal devices have become entangled with official communications, and government devices have become entangled with personal communications. Many state public records laws have acted to keep up with this change. Florida law, for instance, says private communications on government devices are not public records, but official communications on […]
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