Portland schools lose records secrecy case

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A judge says Portland Public Schools must release records that disclose both the name and duration of all employees on paid administrative leave.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Multnomah County District Judge Judith Matarazzo on Friday sided with reporter Beth Slovic and parent Kim Sordyl in the public records case. Slovic and Sordyl asked Portland Public Schools for the records in early 2017, but district officials refused.

The women then sought help from the Multnomah County district attorney, who ordered school officials to turn over the records. That’s when Portland Public Schools officials sued the pair, saying they were seeking clarity from the courts on the matter, not trying to be vindictive to people seeking public records.

Slovic, who was first at Willamette Week and then at The Portland Tribune, exposed paid administrative leaves for educators that stretched longer than two years.

Sordyl said release of the records will benefit the public by improving transparency and prompting district officials to handle HR issues quicker.

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Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com