/PG/ Providence, RI (Signal High) for PowerGames.Online —– The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island has filed a lawsuit [here] against Brown University over the campus police refusing to disclose records under the Access to Public Records Act. The police claim they are not subject to public record disclosure law.
University spokesperson, Brian Clark, said the school has yet to receive the lawsuit but is prepared to “mount a strong effort” defending its exemption. “If we are served with the complaint, we will conduct a full review and respond as appropriate through the legal process,” he said.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of two reporters, able Brigham and Michael Bilow. The pair had filed requests with the Brown University Police in 2022 and 2023, demanding copies of arrest reports. But the police refused, asserting they are a private agency and not subject to the records access law. Both journalists filed complaints with the Rhode Island Attorney General to no avail.
“Brown DPS also shares information regularly and in multiple ways,” Clark added. “For example, we offer public access to a daily police log that includes details on incidents and disposition, and report annual crime statistics each fall in accordance with the federal Clery Act.”
The suit is seeking a judicial judgment that defines the DPS to be a public body under APRA, making it subject to the public disclosure law.
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