- The State News, a student-led newspaper at Michigan State University, is suing MSU.
- In August of 2023, The State News made a FOIA request that was only partially granted by MSU.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
I'm your neighborhood reporter, Sarah Poulos. The State News, the student-led newspaper at Michigan State University, is suing MSU for what they claim is a violation of the Freedom of Information Act.
"The university blocking us in this way, we want to show that we want these records, we need these records for our investigations."
Morgan Womack, the editor-in-chief of The State News, says her organization filed the lawsuit in the State Court of Claims after a FOIA request filed in August of 2023 was partially denied.
"To conduct our investigations and do our reporting, we were looking for people who have been reported to the Title IX office and investigated by the Title IX office more than once."
In early September of 2023, the FOIA request was partially granted by MSU, but according to court records, the documents were heavily redacted, including the names requested by The State News of individuals investigated by the Title IX office more than once between July and August of 2023.
The paper appealed twice requesting the names be released, and both times, MSU President Teresa Woodruff denied the request in a letter to The State News.
"The reason that MSU declined our appeal is because they disagreed with our reporting and disagreed with the fact that we do need these names to conduct our investigations."
In her letters denying the requests, President Woodruff insists "the privacy interests of the individual and the integrity of the investigation outweigh the public's interests for disclosing the personal information."
"I think it's an important step in transparency for MSU, and it's public record, and denying access to that citing that it's private information just isn't accurate, which is why we're suing."
Representing The State News in the lawsuit is Liz Abdnour, a Title IX lawyer in Lansing. She says Title IX does not provide any privacy protections to the students or faculty, but under FERPA, students' education records are protected.
"The president said she just didn't agree that The State News should have the information, that's not a basis under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act to withhold information."
According to the lawsuit, The State News wants the unredacted copies of the documents they requested and their case to be expedited.
Officials with MSU tell me they have no comment on the lawsuit. I'm Sarah Poulos, Fox 47 News.
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