JANE SULLIVAN and P. POES 1-75 v. THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON; ELIZA SAUNDERS
The Chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) at University of Washington (UW) and seventy-four current or previous UW IACUC members filed a class action lawsuit against the University of Washington to enjoin the university from responding to PETA’s public records request for information about IACUC appointments without first redacting all names and identifying information about IACUC appointees. The IACUC, which typically includes those engaged in animal experimentation, is meant to monitor the use of animals used for experiments, and plaintiffs argue that disclosure of the records without redaction of all identifying information would infringe upon their constitutional right to freedom of association. Plaintiffs are seeking certification of the class, as well as declaratory and injunctive relief.
[To accompany Federal Case Law Update "Animal Testing Oversight Committee Files Class Action to Stop Disclosure of Public Records" from Brooks Animal Law Digest Issue No. 131.]