LeBlanc, Beth. 2020. Supreme court to hear challenge to UM over anti-immigration activist’s papers. TCA Regional News, Dec 28, 2020. (accessed December 29, 2020).

A case headed to the Michigan Supreme Court will test some limits of Michigan universities’ obligations under public records law.

The new Democratic-nominated majority on the Michigan Supreme Court will hear arguments Jan. 6 in a case brought against the University of Michigan, seeking access to documents donated to the university’s Bentley Library by an anti-immigration activist.

The university denied a public records request for the documents because they were donated on the condition that they would remain closed to public viewing for 25 years. 

The Court of Claims sided with the university’s argument that the documents didn’t meet the definition of a “public record” because they were “privately-created documents that the university was storing under lock and key,” UM said in its filing.

But the Court of Appeals reversed that decision because it deemed the documents “public record” because UM was storing them for official purposes. The university appealed to the Supreme Court to argue its case.

You can read the full article here: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/12/27/high-court-hear-suit-over-anti-immigration-activists-papers-um/4040309001/