EdLawConnect Blog

As of January 1, 2017, the California Public Records Act allows public agencies, including school districts to “direct[] a member of the public to the location on the Internet Web site where the public record is posted.” (Gov. Code, § 6253(f).) However, if the requesting party is unable to access or reproduce the online record, the agency must “promptly provide a copy of the public record.” ...

In 1979, California voters added section 6 to Article 13B of the State Constitution, which specifies that if the state imposes any “new program or higher level of service” on any local government (including a school district), the state must reimburse the locality for the costs of the program or increased level of service. (Clovis Unified School District v. Chiang (2010) 188 Cal.App.4th 794, 798-799 ...

Recently the Third District Court of Appeal decided Crews v. Willows Unified School District, concerning a newspaperman’s appeal from an award of sanctions against him in the form of the school district’s attorneys’ fees for his filing a frivolous California Public Records Act lawsuit against the District.  Although the decision of the Court of Appeal reversed an award of sanctions against the ...