A two-month long effort by the staff of the Southwestern College Sun to obtain information about a new online parking permit program ended on Oct. 30 when Dean of Student Services Mia McClellan released the information hours before the newspaper was to begin legal action under the California Public Records Act.
“We are glad that Dean McClellan decided to comply with state and federal law and release the documents,” said David McVicker, editor-in-chief of The Sun. “Our governing board and administration are telling our community that we have entered a new era of transparency, but it seems that the word has not yet made it to all corners of our campus.”
McVicker said he was surprised McClellan was so resistant to releasing a “routine and non-controversial document.” The struggle to obtain it was a matter of principle, he said.
SWC Sun reporter Brittany Black was turned away from McClellan’s office by secretary Janet Bynum when Black refused to submit a list of questions in advance. SWC journalism students are taught that questions provided in advance is a form of prior restraint, which the American Constitution and California statutes defend against.
Although the reporter offered the subject of the interview, Bynum refused to schedule an appointment. McClellan did not respond to emails and multiple written requests for information. The Sun’s editorial board filed a California Public Records Act request on Sept. 9 seeking any and all documents and information related to online parking permits. McClellan’s office refused to provide the information within the 10 days required under the 1968 law.
Student journalists followed up with SWC CPRA compliance officer Patti Blevins. On Oct. 1, she informed the staff that she had not received a response from McClellan.
Subsequent e-mails were exchanged between the staff and McClellan, requesting the documents.
On Oct. 29, Sun staff received an e-mail response from McClellan regarding the request.
“To date, I am not familiar with the request to my office or to Ms. Patti Blevins regarding the online parking permit program by [Sun staff members],” wrote McClellan. “However, I would be happy to follow up with Ms. Patti Blevins to find out if she sent the public records request to Campus Police since they oversee the parking program.”
Campus Police staff told The Sun in September that McClellan was the administrator responsible for online parking permits and the person with the requested documents. On Oct. 30, another Sun staff member received a response from Blevins apologizing for the delay. An attached PDF contained the online parking permit documents.
College President Dr. Melinda Nish personally pitched the idea of an article about the new online parking permit program during the summer. Editors at The Sun budgeted the article for the first issue of the fall semester. When McClellan refused to be interviewed, Public Information Officer Lillian Leopold helped track down the available information.