Private campus police forces’ records should be public, Indiana Court of Appeals rules — but legislation seeks to supersede ruling

The state appellate court ruled that Notre Dame's police force is a public agency subject to the public records law, but a bill heading to the governor's desk would shield private universities from releasing the same amount of records as public institutions. 

ESPN's quest to open Notre Dame police records gets a huge assist

Indiana's attorney general has thrown the state's influential weight behind a lawsuit seeking access to police records at Notre Dame, whose attorneys claim the private institution is exempt from the state public-records act. Sports network ESPN is trying to make Indiana the third state this year to declare private-college police reports open for public inspection.

FERPA defense play: Universities often cite the federal student privacy law to shield athletic scandals

At the University of Oregon, Vanderbilt University and the University of Montana, FERPA was cited to withhold records and information related to sexual assault allegations. FERPA was even cited at Florida State University to withhold records about Heisman-winning quarterback Jameis Winston, who has been accused of sexual assault in December 2012.

Ill. bill would require additional transparency at private university police departments

A proposed amendment to the Private College Campus Police Act would require campus police departments at private universities, including at the University of Chicago, to publicly disclose any information that other law enforcement agencies are required to provide under the state’s Freedom of Information Act.

Texas bill would require private college police departments to make records publicly available

Sen. John Whitmire proposed a bill on Jan. 15 to amend the Texas Education Code to require police departments at private colleges to follow the state’s public records law just like other law enforcement agencies. The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, which has not yet set a date for a public hearing.