The above-captioned matter was heard as a contested case on October 26, 2015, at which time the complainant and the respondents appeared, stipulated to certain facts and presented testimony, exhibits and argument on the complaint.

     Prior to the contested case hearing, counsel for the Board of Education (the “Board”) filed a motion to be dismissed from this matter.  The Board contended that it had not received the request for records at issue in this case and that it was not in possession of any of the requested records.  The complainant responded in writing to the Board’s motion to dismiss, indicating that he did not believe that the Board had any knowledge of or access to the information he was seeking from Respondent Mosby (“Mosby” or the “respondent”).  In addition, the complainant did not object to the motion.  Based on these arguments and representations, the Board’s motion to dismiss was granted. 

     After consideration of the entire record, the following facts are found and conclusions of law are reached:

     1.  The respondent is a public agency within the meaning of §1-200(1), G.S.

     2. It is found that, by letter dated April 1, 2015, the complainant requested that the respondent provide him with access to and copies of records, as follows:

     3. It is found that, by letter dated April 9, 2015, the respondent acknowledged the request for records, and denied the request. 

     4. By letter dated and filed April 17, 2015, the complainant appealed to this Commission, alleging that the respondent violated the Freedom of Information (“FOI”) Act by failing to provide him with access to and/or copies of the records described in paragraph 2, above.

     5. Section 1-200(5), G.S., provides:

     6. Section 1-210(a), G.S., provides in relevant part that:

     7. Section 1-212(a), G.S., provides in relevant part that “[a]ny person applying in writing shall receive, promptly upon request, a plain, facsimile, electronic or certified copy of any public record.”

     8. It is found that Mosby is a member of the Board. 

     9. It is also found that, in her private capacity, Mosby is a member of the Norwalk Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (“NAACP”).  The Commission takes administrative notice of the fact that the NAACP is a non-profit civil rights organization. 

     10.  It is found that sometime after Mosby became a member of the Board, she and two other Board members (the “co-complainants”) filed a joint complaint with the Norwalk Branch NAACP Legal Redress Committee alleging, among other things, discrimination and disparate treatment by the Board against African-American and Hispanic female Board members. 

     11.  It is found that Mosby obtained certain records that she believed evidenced discrimination and disparate treatment against female Board members of color.  It is found that some of the records came from the Board, while other records were newspaper clippings and letters unrelated to Mosby’s position as a Board member.  It is found that Mosby copied all of these records and placed them into a notebook.

     12.  In addition, it is found that Mosby’s co-complainants also gathered and copied records that they believed evidenced discrimination and disparate treatment against female Board members of color, and that they provided these records to Mosby.  It is found that Mosby placed the records that she received from her co-complainants in the notebook along with the records that she had gathered. 

     13.  It is found that, at or around the time they filed their complaint with the NAACP, Mosby and her co-complainants met with a representative from the NAACP to review the notebook and to discuss their case.  It is found that, while the notebook was reviewed by the NAACP representative, it was never filed or lodged with the organization itself, although the purpose of the notebook was to supply evidence in support of the filed complaint. 

     14.  According to the complainant, subsequent to the filing of the NAACP complaint, and during a press conference outside of Norwalk’s city hall, a representative of the NAACP held up the notebook and alleged that it contained evidence of discrimination and disparate treatment by the Board against female Board members of color.  In addition, the complainant contends that in March of 2015, the former head of the NAACP’s legal redress committee stood before the Norwalk Democratic Town Committee and stated that Mosby’s evidence of discrimination and disparate treatment was real, and that she had seen it. 

     15.  Thereafter, it is found that the complainant in the instant case made a request for access to and copies of the records in the notebook.

     16.  At the hearing, the complainant contended that he was entitled to review and/or obtained copies of all the public records in the notebook because such records were alleged to be proof of racial and ethnic discrimination.  According to the complainant, Mosby should be required to show her proof (if it exists), and not just talk about it.  Mosby contended, however, that the records in the notebook are not “public records” subject to disclosure under the FOI Act.

     17.  At the conclusion of the August 20, 2015 hearing, the hearing officer issued an order for Mosby to submit to the Commission for an in camera inspection copies of the public records contained in the notebook that she received or had access to because of her position as a Board member.  The in camera order did not encompass records that were provided to Mosby by her co-complainants.

     18.  On September 2, 2015, Mosby submitted the records described in paragraph 17, above, to the Commission.  The in camera records, which may be referred to as IC-2015-280-1 through IC-2015-280-25, are fairly described as multiple emails and attachments to emails, as well as several documents. 

     19.  Mosby contends that none of the records contained in the notebook should be disclosed to the complainant because when she compiled the records she was not discharging a duty or fulfilling an obligation that she derived from her membership in the Board.  Rather, the notebook was created in connection with the filing of a private complaint by private individuals.  Mosby further contends that the copies of the records that she placed in the notebook were obtained, copied and compiled by her during her personal time.  Mosby also contends that the copies of the records that were given to her by her co-complainants were given to her outside of work and in her capacity as a private citizen and not as a member of the Board.

     20.  According to the Board’s Bylaws, the scope of Mosby’s authority to act as a member of or on behalf of the Board is extremely narrow.  Board Bylaw, § 9010, entitled “Limits of Authority,” provides, in relevant part, as follows:

     21.  It is found that, when Mosby obtained copies of certain records from the Board and compiled the notebook, she was not discharging an assignment that had been given to her by the Board.  It is further found that none of Mosby’s activities with regard to obtaining and copying the records were performed in connection with any Board meeting.  Rather, it is found that, when Mosby obtained and copied the records, and compiled them in the notebook, she did so in her private capacity and during her personal time, with the goal of filing a private complaint against the Board.

     22.  Further, it is found that when Mosby’s co-complainants provided her with their copies of their records they were not discharging an assignment given to them by the Board, nor were they providing these records to Mosby in connection with a Board meeting.  Rather, it is found that they too were acting in their private capacities and during their personal time, with the goal of filing a private complaint against the Board. 

     23.  It is found that the Board did not fund the filing of the NAACP complaint.  Rather, it is found that Mosby and her co-complainants paid all administrative and other fees associated with the filing of the complaint.  

     24.  In short, it is found that the Board had no involvement in Mosby’s and her co-complainants’ filing of the complaint with the NAACP. 

     25.  The complainant believes that he should be able to have access to or obtain copies of any records contained in the notebook that originate with the Board.  What the complainant is actually requesting, however, is access to and/or the right to obtain copies of the copies of records that Mosby and her co-complainants deemed relevant to their private complaint against the Board. 

     26.  In this case, it is found that, at all times since its creation, the notebook has been maintained by Mosby in her capacity as a private citizen.  It is found that the notebook was not prepared by a public agency, but rather a private citizen who happens to be a Board member.  Finally, it is found that the notebook was not used by a public agency, but rather by private citizens to facilitate the filing of a private complaint. 

     27.  Based on the foregoing, it is concluded that the notebook is not a public record within the meaning of §1-200(5), G.S.  It is further concluded that the respondent did not violate the FOI Act by declining to disclose a copy of or allow access to the records contained in the notebook to the complainant.

     The following order by the Commission is hereby recommended on the basis of the record concerning the above-captioned complaint.

     1.  The complaint is hereby dismissed.

Approved by Order of the Freedom of Information Commission at its regular meeting of February 10, 2016.

__________________________
Cynthia A. Cannata
Acting Clerk of the Commission

PURSUANT TO SECTION 4-180(c), G.S., THE FOLLOWING ARE THE NAMES OF EACH PARTY AND THE MOST RECENT MAILING ADDRESS, PROVIDED TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION COMMISSION, OF THE PARTIES OR THEIR AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE.

THE PARTIES TO THIS CONTESTED CASE ARE:

PTO Council of Norwalk, Inc.
c/o Michael J. Byrne
125 East Avenue, 3rd Floor
Norwalk, CT  06851

Shirley Mosby, as member, Board of Education,
Norwalk Public Schools;
c/o Alexa J.P. Lindauer, Esq.
Kathleen Eldergill, Esq.
Beck & Eldergill, P.C.
447 Center Street
Manchester, CT  06040

and Board of Education,
Norwalk Public Schools
c/o Thomas B. Mooney, Esq.
Shipman & Goodwin LLP
One Constitution Plaza
Hartford, CT  06103

Melika Forbes, Esq.
Shipman & Goodwin LLP
300 Atlantic Street
Stamford, CT  06901

____________________________
Cynthia A. Cannata
Acting Clerk of the Commission

FIC/2015-280/FD/cac/2/10/2016