Source: https://www.rcfp.org/open-government-sections/1-athletic-records/
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 20:05:46+00:00

Document:
Exemptions from confidentiality requirements of the federal law protecting privacy rights of students—the "Buckley Amendment," or Family Educational Privacy Act of 1972, see 20 U.S.C. § 1232g—permit disclosure of certain information relating to student athletes, and other provisions allow voluntary disclosure, for use in athletic event programs, press releases, and the like. In Ericson v. University of Alaska and Anchorage Daily News, 1995 WL 444416, 23 Media Law Rptr. 1724 (Ak. Super. Ct., 3rd Jud. Dist. at Anchorage, May 12, 1994), the University of Alaska Anchorage was required to disclose documents relating to termination of employment relationship with former athletic training arising from misconduct allegations, notwithstanding the university employee's assertions of constitutional privacy interests and claiming the protection of AS 39.25.80, among other things.
The FOIA exempts “education records as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g, unless their disclosure is consistent with the provisions of [that act].” Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105(b)(2). The FERPA includes a student’s participation in sports to be “directory information” that may be published. 20 U.S.C. § 1232g(a)(5).
“Stat sheets” that detail the scoring at athletic events are subject to disclosure if high-school students’ names and identifying information are redacted. Ark. Op. Att’y Gen. No. 2001-150.
There is no specific statutory exemption from disclosure but see below, for exemptions for student records generally.
Public school and university athletic program records are subject to the Act’s disclosure requirements. See, e.g., Cremins v. Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 261 Ga. 496, 405 S.E.2d 675 (1991) (records reflecting the athletically related "outside" income of public university athletic coaches are public records even if the records are not on file with and have never been reviewed by university officials); Dooley v. Davidson, 260 Ga. 577, 397 S.E.2d 922 (1990) (same); Macon Tele. Publishing Co. v. Board of Regents, 256 Ga. 443 (1986) (records showing the assets, liabilities, income and expenses of the private University of Georgia Athletic Association are public records).
Records relating to the testing of student-athletes for banned substances by the Athletic Department of the University of Hawaii were partially subject to disclosure. Although OIP agreed that the student-athletes’ privacy interests protected the identity of the student-athletes, the request specifically did not seek disclosure of the names of the student-athletes. The question was therefore whether the requested information would allow the public to reasonably determine the identity of a student-athlete who had tested positive for a banned substance. OIP decided that the number of positive test results was subject to disclosure because it alone was insufficient to allow identification of a student-athlete who tested positive. However, the breakdown of the specific sanctions imposed against the student-athletes who tested positive may be withheld because very few student-athletes received the same sanction as those who tested positive for a banned substance. Student-Athlete Testing Records, OIP Op. Ltr. No. 06-03 (May 9, 2006).
The financial records of the athletic programs of a public school or university are subject to public inspection.
The Access to Public Records Act does not specifically address such records. However, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g, prohibits the release of student-identifying information by schools that receive federal funds. Thus such records are also confidential under Indiana Code Section 5-14-3-4(a)(3), which denies access to records which are confidential under federal law. Additionally, schools have relied on the deliberative material exception, Ind. Code § 5-14-3-4(b)(6) to not disclose athletic misconduct. See Journal Gazette v. Bd. of Trs. of Purdue Univ., 698 N.E.2d 826, 830 (Ind. Ct. App. 1998) (denying access to grievances about alleged NCAA violations); see also Unincorporated Operating Div. of Indiana Newspapers, Inc. v. Trs. of Indiana Univ., 787 N.E.2d 893, 914–15 (Ind. App. 2003) (Most of a state university’s investigatory materials regarding a controversial basketball coach were protected from public access, but a newspaper could access certain materials after student and deliberative information were redacted).
Not specifically addressed. Presumably open for inspection, but may be pre-empted by federal law.
Generally open, unless they constitute “education records” under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act [FERPA], 20 U.S.C. § 1232. See 15-ORD-74.
Presumptively open except to the extent the records contain personally identifiable information. Op. Att'y Gen. 76-186.
Athletic records are generally private unless the demands of privacy do not clearly exceed the merits of public disclosure.
There is no specific statutory or case law addressing this issue.
There are no applicable statutory exemptions.
There is no statutory or case law specifically addressing athletic records but pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-2(4)(A)(I), any record identifiable to an individual student is not a public record..
Federal law preempts state law with respect to student education records, but athletic records relating to participation in sports activities is considered “directory information” which may be disclosed. 20 U.S.C.A. § 1232g(a)(5)(A).
In The Herald Journal v. Utah State Univ., No. 95-06 (Utah State Rec. Comm. July 30, 1995), Utah State University provided The Herald Journal with information regarding the gross compensation of the University’s athletic coaches but refused to release copies of the written contracts between the University and its head football and basketball coaches. Because the records were contracts entered into by a government entity and involved government expenditure of funds, the State Records Committee held that the contracts were public, and the University promptly released the contracts.
There are no express restrictions and no case law concerning access to athletic records. Presumably, such records are available subject to privacy-based exemptions for student records. RCW 42.56.230(1).
Open unless they would constitute an education record on a student.

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