Arkansas State U. officials criticized for destroying notes from presidential search committee meeting
The Associated Press
October 3, 2010
Arkansas State University officials have been criticized for collecting and shredding notes that were taken during a recent meeting of the committee that's looking for a new president.
Tom Meredith, who was hired to lead the presidential search, told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Friday that it's standard practice to destroy notes during such meetings to keep them from being made public.
"You don't want that kind of stuff getting into the public if someone gets way out there," said Meredith, of Effective Leadership LLC in Flowood, Miss. "It could be libelous."
Meredith said if committee members wrote something disparaging about a candidate's age, race or background, the candidate could sue the university system or the committee if those notes were made public.
But Tres Williams, director of communications for the Arkansas Press Association, said he believes the school has violated the law. Association attorney John Tull says the notes should've been made public and the committee should never meet privately.
