Pennsylvania Court Rules Against University Foundation in Open-Records Case

A state court in Pennsylvania has ruled that the East Stroudsburg University Foundation must open its donor records and meeting minutes to The Pocono Record, the newspaper reports. The foundation had argued that it was a separate nonprofit organization and not subject to open-records laws, but the court ruled, 7 to 0, that the foundation was carrying out a government function and therefore was subject to the same rules of public disclosure. The newspaper had sought access to the records as part of an investigation into a former vice president for advancement, who is accused of sexual and financial impropriety in a lawsuit that also names the university.