public records lawsuits Tennessee Archives - Page 11 of 20 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

30 Jun, 2017

7-month quest for Gatlinburg fire records reflects poorly on state transparency

By Deborah Fisher|2018-08-06T08:50:37-05:00June 30, 2017|Categories: investigative exemption, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: Deputy Attorney General Janet Kleinfelter, Gatlinburg fire, Knoxville News Sentinel, Sevier County District Attorney Jimmy Dunn, Sevier County Judge Jeff Rader, TEMA|4 Comments

The November 2016 Gatlinburg fire killed 14 people and cost millions of dollars in damages. It was one of Tennessee’s worst disasters. A central question remains: Why did state and local officials wait so long to order an evacuation, until after the fire had already swept into residential areas? Some who lived through last-minute escapes have told news reporters that they had called 911 and were instructed it was safe to stay put. The answer to the evacuation question, and many others, could lay in the communication records and other post-fire reports held by state and local officials. But almost as soon as news organizations and citizens started requesting to [...]

27 Jun, 2017

Judge rules Fall Creek Falls privatization records should be released

By Deborah Fisher|2020-05-09T13:21:01-05:00June 27, 2017|Categories: exemptions, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: Bill Young, Fall Creek Falls, Janet Kleinfelter, John Williams, Katherine Dix, Nashville Scene, privatization, public records lawsuit, request for proposals|0 Comments

In a win for government transparency, Davidson County Chancellor Bill Young ruled today that government records requested by the Nashville Scene regarding the privatization of Fall Creek Falls State Park should be released and are not covered by an exemption in the Tennessee Public Records Act. Davidson County Chancellor Bill Young Under the exemption, proposals for professional services and related records are open for public inspection only after the state has finished evaluating the proposals. However, in this case, no proposals were received by the state’s May 1 deadline from businesses who wanted to operate the state park. The state argued that this meant any government records related [...]

12 Dec, 2016

Hendersonville Standard: Legal bills climb to $238K in Sumner Schools public records case

By Deborah Fisher|2016-12-12T12:09:12-06:00December 12, 2016|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee, requests|Tags: Hendersonville Standard, Ken Jakes, legal bills, Sumner County School Board, Todd Presnell|0 Comments

The Hendersonville Standard recently reported that Sumner County School Board had another $125,237 in legal bills after voting to appeal a public records ruling, bringing the total cost of the case to more than $238,000. The case stemmed from a lawsuit brought by Joelton resident Ken Jakes who requested to see the school district's public records policy. He made the request by email and a followup phone call. The school district denied the request, saying their policy dictated he must make the request in person or through letter delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. From left: Citizen Ken Jakes and Sumner Schools attorneys Todd Presnell and Jim Fuqua listen [...]

26 Oct, 2016

TCOG files amicus brief in Sumner County case over emailed public records request

By Deborah Fisher|2016-10-28T08:03:53-05:00October 26, 2016|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee, requests, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Court of Appeals, John Williams, Ken Jakes, Rick Hollow, Sumner County School Board, TCOG news, Tennessee School Board Association|1 Comment

The Tennessee Coalition for Open Government has filed an amicus curiae brief with the Court of Appeals in Nashville in a case in which the Sumner County Board of Education argues that government entities do not have to accept a public records request sent by email. The case stems from a public records request made by citizen Kenneth Jakes in March 2014 to inspect the Sumner County Board of Education's public records policy. The school district denied the request, saying the method in which Jakes made the request -- by email and a followup phone call -- did not meet their requirements. Jakes was told he had to mail the request through the U.S. [...]

4 Oct, 2016

Metro Nashville must pay nearly $57K in attorneys fees in public records case

By Deborah Fisher|2020-04-09T09:09:40-05:00October 4, 2016|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee, requests|Tags: Alex Friedmann, attorneys' fees, Bradley Jetmore, Doug Pierce, Judge Robert E. Lee Davies, Metro Nashville, promptly, public records request, traffic accident reports|0 Comments

Senior Judge Robert E. Lee Davies ordered Metro Nashville to pay nearly $57K in attorneys fees to a public records requester, saying that the city "misinterpreted and ignored the 'promptness' requirement" in the Tennessee Public Records Act. Davies found the city was willful in not complying with the law, a requirement for awarding attorneys fees in a public records lawsuit. Senior Judge Robert E. Lee Davies orders Metro Nashville to pay attorneys fees in public records case that challenged the city's delay in releasing records. Plaintiff Bradley Jetmore filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming Metro Nashville's police department records division had begun delaying release of traffic reports after about [...]