The University of Kentucky refused the Kentucky Kernel to give them records of the university when the student newspaper appealed the records relating to the college professor involved in committing sexual assault of a college student. The university, in a way also has violated a state’s act according to which it is necessary for any organization to give any records which are in public interest.
Why did the University refuse to provide the details from the records?
The university has refused to provide any kind of such information which is related to cases about the sexual assault of a student of that university by putting the shield of possible harm in the reputation of the student and their career lying ahead of them and also their privacy. Also, they used they tried to use the defence that records relating to such a case come under the information safeguarded by a privacy right which prevents opening up of any kind of document related to Title IX.
But leaving all these reasons given by the university, some editors of the student newspapers don’t support these reasons and regard them as the false reason given to protect their imagein public. They think so because their request for such documents has been granted by several other universities.
What action did the university take following the refusal?
Refusal of disclosure of any document in public interest leaves only one option to any organization, which is to sue the concerned authority asking for disclosure of the document. The same option was exercised by the Western Kentucky University also. They also filed a case against the Kentucky kernel and the college heights herald. The case between the two is still pending in the court.
The editor in chief of the Kentucky Kernel has said that it’s impossible to imagine working for the newspaper without being sued by a newspaper because the case between the newspapers and the university continued till the end of his college carrier.
Why title IX cases hold a lot of importance?
The title IX cases are very important for the public interest and deserve to be properly investigated because it’s a question of someone’s career which someone has tried to harm. The title IX documents of the universities which complied with the requests of the newspapers revealed that only half who were guilty of sexual assaults were dismissed and the remaining half has not been fired. Some of them have even been successful in working for other university or schools because of the possibility that these universities and schools were unaware of their accusation. Also, it was reported that in some cases, the university had asked the guilty to resign so that no disciplinary action being taken against them. The newspapers said that generally, the universities try to safeguard their image in public by not providing the documents related to such cases by providing the defence of privacy and by giving the reason of saving the students privacy.
