UNC asks NC Supreme Court to stop release of sex assault records

Lawyers with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have asked the State Supreme Court to delay a unanimous order by appeals court judges last month to release records of students disciplined for sexual misconduct.

A coalition of North Carolina media organizations, including The Daily Tar Heel, The Charlotte Observer and Capitol Broadcasting Co., the parent company of WRAL News, filed suit in November 2016 after UNC-Chapel Hill officials denied their request for records related to sexual assault at the university. Specifically, the media organizations asked for details on sanctions imposed on anyone at the university found responsible for rape or sexual assault.

In April, a panel of three state appeals court judges disagreed with the university's argument that the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a federal law that protects student educational records, prevented the disclosure of the information. Judges ordered the university to turn over records about sexual misconduct investigations by the university's various student conduct groups, pending formal action from the lower trial court.

In their filing May 16, UNC lawyers asked the North Carolina Supreme Court to stay the appeals court decision until the state's highest court can decide whether to review the case. The university expects to file a petition for discretionary review before the court by next week.

But Hugh Stevens, an attorney for the media coalition, told WRAL News in April that the unanimous decision by the Court of Appeals means the Supreme Court is less likely to review the case.