In case you missed it, Otterbein360 is involved in a lawsuit against the university and its police department.
Student reporters have been denied records since the university's security department transitioned to police force in 2011. After two years of back and forth, the staff decided it was time to take legal action.
In February 2014, Anna Schiffbauer, then news editor for Otterbein360, filed a lawsuit in the Ohio Supreme Court against the university for denying her records request. It is now up to the Ohio Supreme Court to decide whether or not to hear the case.
Schiffbauer, a business administration and psychology double major, graduated in May. She now is an intern at the Student Press Law Center in Washington D.C. but the case is still relevant. Schiffbauer still has standing in the case despite graduating from Otterbein. Anyone can request police records. Being denied those records is grounds for legal action.
OPD's refusal to release incident reports and police records is important because they are a fully commissioned police force with the same authority as Westerville Police. That includes the power to issue speeding tickets, make arrests, and use lethal force.
Otterbein maintains it is exempt from Ohio Public Records laws.
This past August, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine wrote an amicus brief to the Ohio Supreme Court in favor of Schiffbauer's lawsuit against the university.
An amicus brief or amicus curiae translates to "friend of the court" and is a filing made by an individual with strong interest or views on the legal issue at hand.
In the brief, DeWine said "the Otterbein Police Department was created by the government and could not exist independent of the government." He added that since state law grants officers working for private employers police power, these forces are subject to public-records law.
We've requested police records to make sure students have all the information they need and not just scant details. Having access to police records would not only keep campus informed but also hold campus officials accountable for their actions. Transparency builds trust in the law and authority. Students have the right to know how university officials handle campus crime.
Do you think Otterbein police records should be public? Let us know in the comments.
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