Missoula County Pub. Schs. v. Addis

Valerie Addis left her position as supervisor of food services with the Missoula County Public Schools (Schools) after the Schools conducted an investigation of Addis into whether she had engaged in fraudulent or illegal financial transactions. Certain media organizations (Respondents) requested that the Schools release documents related to Addis’ termination. The Schools, in order to avoid being sued by either the media outlets or Addis, commenced the present action in district court seeking an in camera review of the Addis documents and a determination as to whether they should be released. After conducting an in camera examination of the Schools’ records, the district court concluded (1) Addis had a right of privacy in some of the documents and they, therefore, should not be released; but (2) six documents relating to misuse of public money, misuse of public facilities, and careless management practices should be released. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that the district court properly determined that the six disputed documents should be released. View "Missoula County Pub. Schs. v. Addis" on Justia Law