Following outcry that it stifles public debate, the Board of Visitors at the University of Virginia is scrapping their first draft of a code of ethics policy that would have forbidden members from publicly disagreeing with board decisions.
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Police records at private universities should be open, Ohio attorney general says
Attorney General Mike DeWine asked the Ohio Supreme Court to side with Otterbein University student journalist Anna Schiffbauer, who is seeking a court order to compel the private university’s police force to disclose arrest records.
What public forum doctrine means for your student publication
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Hazelwood ruling drew a road map for obtaining heightened First Amendment recognition in student media, hundreds of student publications have attempted to follow it, invoking the incantation “public forum.” Recent legal developments, however, have cast grave doubt on the value and durability of designating a publication — or any piece of government property — as a “forum.”
April 2014: In North Carolina and Ohio, two student editors discuss secret presidential searches
Secret presidential searches are becoming increasingly common at public colleges and universities around the country. On the podcast, Daniel Moore, editor of The Daily Kent Stater, and Michael Bragg, editor of The Appalachian, discuss their schools' recent secret presidential searches.
North Dakota State University foundation is a public entity, state attorney general rules
A private foundation whose “sole purpose and function” is to support North Dakota State University is a public entity subject to public open record laws, the state attorney general ruled Monday.
Senators make changes to amendment after journalism advocates voice concerns with previous draft
Legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate Wednesday will not aim to redefine what records schools can withhold under federal student privacy law, an issue that worried journalism and open-government advocates when an earlier version of the bill was released.
California appeals court says school district can redact teachers’ names in test score data
The Los Angeles Unified School District does not have to release the names of individual teachers in records about teacher performance, a California appeals court ruled July 23.
Cal State Fullerton journalists honored with Betty Gage Holland investigative reporting award
The Daily Titan at California State University, Fullerton is the 2013-14 winner of the University of Georgia’s Betty Gage Holland Award for excellence in college journalism.
New York Times resubmits request for public records on University of Oregon sexual misconduct case after previous records were heavily redacted
A local prosecutor has declined an appeal from The New York Times seeking to compel the University of Oregon to turn over complete public records about a sexual misconduct investigation involving three UO men’s basketball players, prompting the newspaper to submit a new request.
Court: Legal challenge to campus police raid can't proceed in secret
If you want to pursue a misconduct claim against campus police, be prepared to do it in public, a federal district judge ruled last week.