The University of Nebraska-Lincoln properly withheld certain public records sought by a suspended fraternity, a Lancaster County judge said this week.
The Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, better known as FIJI, sought administrator correspondence and student and investigation records leading up to and after its March 2017 suspension following investigations into the chapter.
The university opened a Title IX investigation in January 2017 after fraternity members were accused of making sexually harassing remarks toward participants in the Women's March.
At the same time, a separate investigation determined FIJI members were engaging in "reckless alcohol use, hazing and inappropriate sexually based behavior" at the fraternity.
UNL suspended the fraternity in March 2017. FIJI won't be eligible for reinstatement until 2020.
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The fraternity later requested several records from UNL, seeking correspondence between administrators regarding the allegations made against the fraternity and its members, and other records.
The university provided some records beginning in March 2018, but later indicated it would withhold more than 1,600 documents, citing exemptions in the Nebraska Public Records Act for investigatory records, work by attorneys and personal student information.
Lancaster County District Court Judge John Colborn said upon reviewing the withheld documents, he concurred the university had properly applied the exemptions afforded under law, with few exceptions.
Colborn ordered emails about a newly hired Phi Gamma Delta house mom and an invitation sent to the chapter's advisers to participate in alcohol awareness education to be turned over to the fraternity.
He also said the university responded to the fraternity within the four days required by law, and provided proper notice for the reasoning behind withholding certain records.