Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Archives - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

10 Jul, 2025

Judge rules Chattanooga City Council violated open meetings law with so-called informational meetings
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Judge rules Chattanooga City Council violated open meetings law with so-called informational meetings

Open Meetings, open meetings lawsuits

Judge rules Chattanooga City Council violated open meetings law with so-called informational meetings

By Deborah Fisher|2025-07-10T11:55:46-05:00July 10, 2025|Categories: Open Meetings, open meetings lawsuits|Tags: Chattanooga City Council, informational meetings, Paul McAdoo, private meetings, public notice, redistricting, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Times Free Press|0 Comments

A judge found that the Chattanooga City Council violated the Open Meetings Act in developing its new voting district maps in 2021 and 2022. The city's arguments that closed meetings were simply "informational" and contained no deliberations or decision-making was refuted by evidence that included council members own comments about the process. In addition, the judge found that serial meetings held by city staff with each council member to get approval of a proposed map before presenting it in public at a full council meeting violated the open meetings act.

22 Nov, 2024

Tennessee Supreme Court to hear case on sealed court records
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Tennessee Supreme Court to hear case on sealed court records

court records, First Amendment, public records lawsuits Tennessee, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

Tennessee Supreme Court to hear case on sealed court records

By Deborah Fisher|2024-11-22T11:08:52-06:00November 22, 2024|Categories: court records, First Amendment, public records lawsuits Tennessee, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Angelita Dalton, Cheryl Blackburn, Daniel Horwitz, Paul McAdoo, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, sealed court records, Steve Cavendish, The Nashville Banner|0 Comments

The Tennessee Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case in which a lower court judge refused to unseal court records in a test of the First Amendment right of access by the public to court proceedings and court documents.

11 Sep, 2024

Tennessee is getting away with delaying access to public records, sometimes for years
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Tennessee is getting away with delaying access to public records, sometimes for years

public records lawsuits Tennessee, requests

Tennessee is getting away with delaying access to public records, sometimes for years

By Deborah Fisher|2024-09-11T14:16:43-05:00September 11, 2024|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee, requests|Tags: Chancellor John Weaver, delays, John Becker, Marc Perrusquia, Memphis, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, WBIR|0 Comments

Late last year, the city of Memphis wrote a $7,419.68 check to reimburse the attorney fees of journalist Marc Perrusquia rather than risk losing a public records lawsuit. The city folded before the case got before a judge. Something similar happened this summer in Knoxville when University of Tennessee threw in the towel on the eve of a public hearing in a public records case after stalling for more than a year and half. Tennessee ranked 45th in complying with public records requests, according to one study. We need fewer delays and better compliance with the law.

1 May, 2024

WBIR anchor files public records suit over denial of UT-Battelle records
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WBIR anchor files public records suit over denial of UT-Battelle records

public records lawsuits Tennessee, public university records

WBIR anchor files public records suit over denial of UT-Battelle records

By Deborah Fisher|2024-05-01T15:29:55-05:00May 1, 2024|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee, public university records|Tags: John Becker, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Paul McAdoo, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, trade secrets, University of Tennessee, UT-Battelle, WBIR|1 Comment

Longtime WBIR journalist John Becker has filed a lawsuit challenging the University of Tennessee's denial of public records related to its joint venture, UT-Battelle LLC, which runs the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The case is set to be heard on May 31 in Knox County Chancery Court.

5 Jan, 2022

Nashville Post journalist files public records lawsuit over state’s McKinsey reports

By Deborah Fisher|2022-01-10T12:05:08-06:00January 5, 2022|Categories: deliberative process privilege, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: deliberative process privilege, Gov. Bill Lee, Paul McAdoo, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Stephen Elliott, Swift v. Campbell, Thomas Wesley|1 Comment

In the second public records lawsuit against Gov. Bill Lee's administration in a matter of weeks, Nashville Post journalist Stephen Elliott says that the administration's claim of a "deliberative process privilege" to keep secret a consultant's reports during the COVID-19 pandemic has no basis in state law.