Arizona Supreme Court strengthens public records law in ruling against U of A

Destroying a public record after a member of the public requests it should land government agencies in legal trouble, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled today. Matthew Abraham, a former English professor at the University of Arizona, sued the Arizona Board of Regents after the university denied access to a list of records pertaining to hiring practices — including a committee meeting recording destroyed by the university despite an outstanding record request. In a unanimous decision, the Arizona Supreme Court on Friday ruled that destruction of a public record sought by a member of the public constitutes a denial of access. Abraham, but for every Arizonan who relies on public records to understand what their government is doing.” In 2017, Abraham was a member of the committee on faculty governance, known as the “Committee of Eleven.” He raised concerns about the university’s adherence to an Arizona law prohibiting hiring and admissions based on race, sex or gender. Abraham denied that offer and persisted in his request.

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Scoop News DeskSpecific city/county not stated, Arizona · Published Saturday, September 19, 2026 at 2:00 AM UTCUpdated Sunday, September 20, 2026 at 3:39 AM UTC

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And, the justices said, it needs to be courts, not government agencies, who determine whether a withholding or redacting public records is in line with public records law. “This decision makes clear that public entities cannot avoid their disclosure obligations by destroying requested records, delaying production, or simply deferring to their own determinations about what the public is entitled to see,” Benjamin Rundall, an attorney for Abraham, said in a statement. “This is an important victory not only for Dr.