Mustang News reporter sues Cal Poly over alleged public records violations

This story was originally written by Archana Pisupati, Leila Touati and Chloe Lovejoy of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo’s Mustang News.

Mustang News data and investigations reporter Elizabeth Wilson filed a lawsuit against Cal Poly for violating the California Public Records Act (CPRA) by not disclosing public records surrounding sexual harassment complaints requested by Wilson over 18 months ago, according to a press release from the First Amendment Coalition (FAC).

In a three-part series, Wilson reported on campus sexual assault data and the university’s Title IX office’s response to campus cases. The records related to her reporting were requested by Wilson in September and October of 2022. According to the release, Wilson waited for five months before following up on her requests in January 2023.

“California’s Public Records Act is enshrined in the state constitution in order to provide access to information related to the public’s business,” journalism department chair Brady Teufel wrote in an email to Mustang News. “In investigating campus sexual assault, alleged labor law violations and an administrator’s response to harassment complaints, I believe Wilson’s reporting is clearly in the public interest.”

The CPRA requires an estimated date to present the records, which Cal Poly did not comply with, but rather “assured” Wilson that her requests were being processed, according to FAC. After months of no response and Wilson sending another request for an estimated date, the FAC sent a letter to Cal Poly on Wilson’s behalf to Cal Poly, highlighting the CPRA violations in terms of Wilson’s requests.

“By refusing to fill my request, Cal Poly is denying the campus community that important information,” Wilson said. 

Wilson said she had to fill the gap left by the unanswered public records requests with interviews.

“I still have a right to know, every student has a right to know how these matters work,” she said.

University spokesperson Matt Lazier wrote in an email to Mustang News that the university will not comment at this time due to the lawsuit being a “pending legal matter.”

Cal Poly last updated Wilson on her requests in September 2023, according to the release. The case Wilson v. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo was filed on Tuesday at the Superior Court of San Luis Obispo County.

Wilson is a journalism junior, minoring in political science. Her tenure with Mustang News started winter of her freshman year, writing for the news team. 

“I knew I wanted to look into deeper stories and report on topics that matter to the community,” she said.

Wilson said it is fulfilling to capture critical issues and timely events through deeper narratives.

As an investigative reporter, Wilson said she gained insight on how the university’s internal communications process and distribute information. With the hours she spent dedicated to requesting records and reporting, she realized a passion for uncovering the truth. 

“I filed my first public records request in March of 2022,” she said.

Not long after, Wilson took over as the Data & Investigations editor in June 2022. Since then, Wilson has won awards from the Associated Collegiate Press for her reporting on campus sexual assault and Title IX. In 2023, she won the fourth place “Reporter of the Year” for coverage on student labor rights, on-campus mold and former CSU Chancellor Joseph Castro.

“My favorite part as a reporter has been the opportunity to tell the stories of the Cal Poly community and getting the chance to illustrate experiences and anecdotes from sources,” she said. 

Wilson said obtaining background information through data records is critical to “showcasing the depth of an issue.”

“My goal is to get those records so I can continue telling stories for the better,” she said.