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View Full Version : All 88 emails to compliance@olemiss.edu are reviewable...



spbdawg
07-31-2018, 10:35 AM
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tireddawg
07-31-2018, 01:22 PM
You gonna request them?

spbdawg
07-31-2018, 01:49 PM
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Johnson85
07-31-2018, 01:52 PM
under Public Records laws.

http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2018/07/dps-blows-it-against-bomgar.html

The Ethics Commission just created an enforcement action against MBN over a similar set of circumstances. Once a record has been created the public body shall maintain the record in perpetuity and the public shall have access to these records unless a record is specifically exempt under the law.

Just an FYI but 100% of Phil Bryant's phone records (those from his work issued phone) are reviewable under the law too. No exemptions. Same could be said for Hugh Freeze's phone records too....including the 7000 phone records that he and his attorneys don't want folks to see.

Was there ever a claim that they weren't? I know they made some BS claims about needing to redact personally identifiable information of the students, but there was never a question that they were public records and subject to production unless there was an exception under Mississippi law (there wouldn't be) or unless there was a controlling federal law (there might be; not sure what student privacy protections might apply).

spbdawg
07-31-2018, 02:11 PM
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Johnson85
07-31-2018, 03:41 PM
No. Freeze was allowed to redact 7000 phone records and no one ever called him on it. It's like unfinished business that folks considered old news once Freeze was fired. Imagine if the redacted phone records showed illegal activity between Freeze, boosters, hookers and underage boys. Would Freeze's termination be "enough" if that were the case? Wouldn't the authorities need to be involved then?

I think the phone records were on a phone provided by the foundation, a private entity. So there is no question the phone records related to university business are public records and they have a duty to preserve them. I don't think it necessarily follows that records of calls not related to university business are public records. Arguably, because they can't really ask the phone company to provide them records of the phone calls related to university business, all of the records were in fact possessed and retained in the performance of the duty of Hugh Freeze as a public employee. I think that's a pretty good argument but by no means a slam dunk.

I'm thinking maybe it's already been addressed by the ethics commission and they have said personal records are not subject to requests, even if they are intermingled with public records???

Schultzy
07-31-2018, 04:05 PM
Actually, if you’re conducting gov’t business on a personal device, taxpayers have a legal right to those communications as well.

spbdawg
07-31-2018, 05:53 PM
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