Michigan courts vary in access rulings

MICHIGAN– Three state courts recently have ruled on separate freedom of information cases. In two of the three decisions, the court ruled in favor of opening records.* The Michigan Court of Appeals upheld in June a circuit court ruling that evaluations of a public school teacher had to be disclosed to the Ann Arbor News.* A Michigan Court of Appeals has declared moot a case that sought to open the presidential search process at Oakland University because of a new state law that allows schools to practice closed search processes. n* The Washtenaw County Circuit Court ruled in June that the University of Michigan must release records concerning an internal investigation of the school basketball program, including letters of reprimand from the university to a coach.