News Summary
WBIR has reached a settlement with the University of Tennessee, allowing access to unredacted operating agreements from 1999 and 2007 concerning Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This resolution, which includes a payment of $60,000 in legal fees to WBIR, comes after a decade-long dispute over transparency in public records related to the university’s operations. The case underscores the public’s right to access information about state-funded institutions.
KNOXVILLE, TN – WBIR has settled a lawsuit against the University of Tennessee (UT) regarding access to public records that concern dealings with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The resolution, finalized in March 2024, permits WBIR to access unredacted operating agreements from the years 1999 and 2007, which are essential for understanding the functioning of ORNL, a facility co-managed by UT in partnership with the Battelle Memorial Institute.
As part of the settlement terms, UT has agreed to pay WBIR $60,000 in legal fees. The dispute over access to these public records has been ongoing for over a decade, highlighting the challenges of obtaining information related to public institutions.
The legal action was filed under the name of WBIR’s anchor, John Becker, who initiated the request in March 2024 as part of a broader investigation into ORNL’s administrative practices. The lawsuit aimed primarily at obtaining the operating agreements that underpin the operations at ORNL, alongside communications between UT administrators regarding the lab. While some records were provided during the course of litigation, UT exhibited initial resistance to disclosing the full range of records sought.
The case had been brought before Chancellor Weaver in May 2024, where arguments from both sides were heard. The Chancellor appeared to be sympathetic to WBIR’s arguments for a transparent disclosure of information critical to the public interest. Remarkably, the case was resolved before a ruling was necessary, signaling a willingness on the part of UT to settle the matter amicably.
Notably, attorneys from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press represented WBIR in the lawsuit. Legal representatives Paul McAdoo and Gunita Singh argued the importance of the public’s right to know how state-funded institutions like UT manage resources and partnerships, especially concerning a facility like ORNL, which is significant for scientific research and national interest.
Battelle’s attorneys did not attend the court hearing held in May, which raised questions regarding Battelle’s involvement in the ongoing dispute over public records. Despite UT’s designation as a state-funded institution, it has maintained that records related to the operations of UT-Battelle LLC, the entity managing ORNL, are private and not subject to public record laws.
This lawsuit underscores a broader issue of transparency in public institutions, as various inquiries into the salaries of top employees at ORNL remain unaddressed. Becker’s initial efforts to disclose this information have not been fulfilled, keeping a cloud of obscurity over the financial administration at the laboratory.
The resolution of this legal matter marks an important victory for transparency advocates and raises questions about the ongoing practices of UT and Battelle regarding public access to information. The unredacted operating agreements will allow for greater scrutiny into how ORNL is administered and how taxpayer dollars are utilized within this vital facility.
Moving forward, WBIR and advocates for open records hope that this settlement will pave the way for more straightforward access to public records, reinforcing the principle that institutions funded by taxpayer money should operate with transparency and accountability.
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