Posted on 04/19/2014 7:15:27 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
Virginia’s highest court has denied a conservative group’s effort to force the University of Virginia to turn over emails from a controversial climate scientist who worked at the school.
The Virginia Supreme Court on Thursday held that the public university wasn’t obligated under the state’s freedom of information law to release thousands of emails that Penn State researcher Michael Mann wrote while he was a UVA professor several years ago.
Mr. Mann in 2009 came under scrutiny among global warming skeptics after hackers leaked thousands of email exchanges between the professor and other researchers that suggested that the scientists sought to stifle dissenting views about global warming.
Upholding a lower-court ruling, the Virginia Supreme Court said releasing the emails would have put UVA “at a competitive disadvantage in relation to private universities and colleges.”
The opinion cited affidavits submitted by scholars and academic officials warning of the dangers of making public the correspondence. “If U.S. scientists at public institutions lose the ability to protect their communications with faculty at other institutions, their ability to collaborate will be gravely harmed,” wrote UVA provost John D. Simon in one of the filings.
“The Supreme Court’s decision is consistent with the public nature of science and with the public mission of the University of Virginia,” a UVA spokesman said Thursday.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.wsj.com ...
Yo Mann, if you have nothing to hide...hide nothing!
Big government protecting itself.
They be coming out soon. Mann made the idiotic mistake of suing Mark Steyn, which has not turned out well for others, and discovery in the lawsuit will compel release of the emails.
Hide the decline.
“The court decision [to keep correspondence which might reveal raw unaltered data, political motivations or biases of researchers secret] is in keeping with the public nature of science,” said the University spokesman.
Um, yeah, right...
/sarc
It was the correct decision by my standards. I’m no fan of Mann and his hockey stick. But black out the word “conservative group” and “environmentalist” and use something like “Atheist group” and “Professor of Theology” or “PETA” and “Nutritional Researcher” and even “CAIR” and “Nuclear Physics Researcher”, and see if you feel the same way.
This in a day and age where the IRS hands over conservative private information to their buddies in the RAT campaigns. JUST FREAKIN’ UNBELIEVABLE
I was wondering how this ruling would impact that case. Will the emails have to be released anyway or will this somehow provide cover against the discovery process?
The Emails, tax returns, and text messages will be in que post haste.
Collusion. Government protecting itself.
If we were talking about a private college, I would agree with you. This is a public institution, though, and his “official” correspondence should be public record.
Nailed. Thanks.
BIG GOVERNMENT IS CRONY SOCIALISM
"Socialism Is Legal Plunder"- The Law; Bastiat
"EVERYTHING about socialism is sham and affectation." - 23.11; Ch23 Evil; Economic Harmonies; Bastiat
(CAPS mine)
Mann's lawyer had to advise him that discovery would include his own emails. If there is one iota of intent to mislead, it could bring down the house of global warming.
Later the judge explained that, “We have to keep the information confidential so it can remain public.”
Uh, college emails are always public record.
This is a completely unconstitutional decision.
If they won’t release the emails, why not have Mark Steyn demand them in discovery and deposition? Mann is suing Steyn.
That’s what I hope will happen.
Separate issues. Personally, I agree with the court. Every email written by a professor at a state university should not be available for the public to dig through at random under FOIA.
Actual state employees at a government agency, different story.
Lets see. Public school. Public computers. E-mails related to public policy. Nope, can’t see why the public would have a compelling interest in the e-mails.
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