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Beshear Intervening in WKU Lawsuit Against Two Student Newspapers

WKU

Attorney General Andy Beshear filed a motion Thursday to intervene in Western Kentucky University’s lawsuit against two college newspapers.

WKU has denied open records requests by its own student paper, the College Heights Herald, as well as the University of Kentucky’s student publication. The newspapers are seeking documents related to investigations of alleged sexual harassment by WKU employees.

The school also refused to allow Beshear’s office to confidentially review the documents.

Beshear released an opinion in January saying WKU violated the Open Records Act by denying the documents to the newspapers.

The university filed a lawsuit against the papers in late February to prevent the release of the records.

In announcing his official intervention in the lawsuit, Beshear said that a "university should lead by example and promote transparency, not run away from it".

WKU has argued that turning over the records will compromise the privacy of those who filed sexual harassment complaints. 

A hearing in the case is scheduled for April 3 in Warren Circuit Court.

The award-winning news team at WKU Public Radio consists of Dan Modlin, Kevin Willis, Lisa Autry, and Joe Corcoran.
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