Fifteen journalism and media faculty members from the University of Kentucky are asking university President Eli Capilouto to apologize and drop the university's open records lawsuit against the student paper.
Al Cross, who signed the letter, said it was delivered to Capilouto on Thursday afternoon.
The university is suing the Kentucky Kernel, which sought documents relating to a sexual assault investigation involving a former professor.
The letter to Capilouto said his remark last week to the board of trustees that the newspaper published "salacious details to attract readers" challenged the paper's reputation and that of its editor and "cast aspersions on journalism faculty."
University spokesman Jay Blanton said while the concerns are appreciated, the disagreement is about the privacy of victims and is rightly being determined in court.
