Student journalism is an important part of student life on many campuses. For one it keep the student body informed on not only social event but also on the important topics. The university is required to give certain information when requested upon by the journalism organization, when they don’t hand over the information it can cause real problems. For today’s blog I chose to talk about Florida University and what happened to them when they tried to withhold information from their students.
A student news organization is battling a Florida university for the right to know the names of Student Government officials in meetings and documents. On Friday, Knight News, Inc., a student newspaper, won against the University of Central Florida in a court case that began in 2013.
The court found that a previous court should have required UCF to reveal the names of Student Government officials accused of engaging in misconduct in impeachment documents.
Previously, both the trial court and the appellate court supported the university’s claim that it could cover the names of students in Student Government documents because of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, said Justin Hemlepp, an attorney for Knight News.
“If UCF somehow had won this or still finds a way to do so, it will force every other Student Government in this state at a public university or community college to shut down their records to the public, to shut down their meetings to the public,” he said. “And all the sudden all of these Student Governments will be operating in secrecy.”
The university could not be reached for comment. Also not helping their case in the end.
In court documents, the university stated that FERPA protects the rights of student information, including SG officials.In March, Knight News filed another lawsuit against UCF after the university closed an election commissions meeting to the public. The paper is arguing that Florida’s Sunshine Law allows public access to public officials, including those in SG.
In addition to the two cases filed by Knight News, Jacob Milich, a student who attempted to run for UCF Student Body president, also filed a case against the university.UCF’s elections commission removed him from the ballot following a closed-to-the-public meeting, he said.
The 25-year-old Marine veteran said he offered to drop the lawsuit if he was put back on the ballot for the elections. The university declined, he said.
A student news organization is battling a Florida university for the right to know the names of Student Government officials in meetings and documents. On Friday, Knight News, Inc., a student newspaper, won against the University of Central Florida in a court case that began in 2013.
The court found that a previous court should have required UCF to reveal the names of Student Government officials accused of engaging in misconduct in impeachment documents.
“If UCF somehow had won this or still finds a way to do so, it will force every other Student Government in this state at a public university or community college to shut down their records to the public, to shut down their meetings to the public,” he said. “And all the sudden all of these Student Governments will be operating in secrecy.”
The university could not be reached for comment. Also not helping their case in the end.
In court documents, the university stated that FERPA protects the rights of student information, including SG officials.In March, Knight News filed another lawsuit against UCF after the university closed an election commissions meeting to the public. The paper is arguing that Florida’s Sunshine Law allows public access to public officials, including those in SG.
In addition to the two cases filed by Knight News, Jacob Milich, a student who attempted to run for UCF Student Body president, also filed a case against the university.UCF’s elections commission removed him from the ballot following a closed-to-the-public meeting, he said.
The 25-year-old Marine veteran said he offered to drop the lawsuit if he was put back on the ballot for the elections. The university declined, he said.
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