Office of Open Records Counsel

9 Oct, 2023

Lawyer hired as new head of Office of Open Records Counsel

By |2023-10-09T11:23:56-05:00October 9, 2023|Categories: Office of Open Records Counsel|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

Toni Chadwick has been named as the new open records counsel for the Office of Open Records Counsel for Tennessee. The office provides resources and answers questions about public records and open meetings laws and provides occasional advisory opinions and informal mediation. Chadwick takes over from Maria Bush, who held the job for about a year and a half.

28 Aug, 2019

Office of Open Records Counsel to offer free training statewide in October

By |2019-08-28T14:10:16-05:00August 28, 2019|Categories: Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: , |0 Comments

The Office of Open Records Counsel is offering seven two-hour training sessions across the state from Oct. 1-22 on public records and open meetings laws. Lee Pope, the state's Open Records Counsel. The sessions are free and open to government employees, elected officials, media, and anyone who is interested in learning more about Tennessee’s public records and open meetings laws. RSVP by sending an email to [email protected]. The time, dates and places are: Cookeville: Tuesday, October 1, 10 am – 12 pm, Upper Cumberland Regional Health Facility, 1100 England Drive, Cookeville. Kingsport: Wednesday, October 9, 10 am – 12 pm, Kingsport Chamber of Commerce, 400 Clinchfield Street, #100, Kingsport. Knoxville: [...]

18 May, 2019

Hamilton County School Board, Tennessee Risk Management Trust miss point on confidentiality agreement

By |2019-05-19T10:07:30-05:00May 18, 2019|Categories: Public Records, schools|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments

The Hamilton County School Board's attorney on Wednesday finally revealed to school board members the settlement payout amount of $750,000 to a student sexually assaulted during a basketball tournament trip. Board attorney Scott Bennett has indicated that this amount was previously confidential because its insurer had entered into a confidentiality agreement with the student and his family. There is still another student with whom the school board's insurer reached a settlement payout. Bennett has not released that amount. The explanation is that the settlement is under seal in federal court. The Tennessee Attorney General and the Office of Open Records Counsel have both weighed in on the matter — and [...]

16 Nov, 2018

Using cell phones to take pictures of public records? Here’s what the Open Records Counsel says

By |2020-11-19T12:52:45-06:00November 16, 2018|Categories: Office of Open Records Counsel, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

Earlier this year, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government requested an informal advisory opinion from the Office of Open Records Counsel about taking pictures of public records with cell phones. We asked: 1 - Does the law allow a records custodian to prohibit citizens from using a camera to take pictures of public records “in all cases” where the law gives the citizen a “right to inspect” such records under the plain language of §T.C.A. 10-7-506(a) of the Tennessee Public Records Act. 2 - The Model Policy created by the Office of Open Records Counsel seems to give records custodians open-ended discretion to allow or not allow the use of personal [...]

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