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‘Personnel information’: FOIA redactions reassessed with high court guidance
With guidance from the Supreme Court of Virginia, a circuit court in Virginia has ordered a town to disclose several documents it had earlier ruled were exempt as personnel information under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, or VFOIA. The circuit court dismissed the plaintiff’s mandamus petition for VFOIA disclosure after the town redacted information […]
High court defines ‘public business’ under VFOIA
The Supreme Court of Virginia reversed the dismissal of a suit against members of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors alleged to have violated open meeting requirements under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, or VFOIA. In the wake of the George Floyd protests, board members attended a police Citizens Advisory Board, or CAB, […]
Board meeting did not fall within VFOIA exceptions
Where plaintiffs allege that five members of a county board of supervisors violated the Virginia Freedom of Information Act’s open meeting requirements when they attended a police Citizens Advisory Board, or CAB, meeting to discuss responses to riots in the wake of George Floyd’s killing, the gathering was a meeting within the meaning of the […]
School board cannot exclude public from open meeting
Where a school board provided notice of an open meeting, the Virginia Freedom of Information Act required the board to allow members of the public to attend the meeting in person. This requirement was not satisfied by putting members of the public in a different area and providing a video feed of the meeting. Arguments […]
School board violated VFOIA
A school board violated Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act, or VFOIA, when it relegated members of the public to a separate room with a video feed of a public meeting, the Supreme Court of Virginia has held. When the plaintiff refused to leave the room, the board had police escort her off the premises. The […]
Zoning ordinance adopted via electronic meeting is invalid
Where county supervisors adopted an updated zoning ordinance via an electronic meeting, Fairfax County resident taxpayers correctly argued that this violated the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Although the act authorizes electronic meetings when the governor declares an emergency which makes it unsafe to “assemble a quorum in a single location,” such as the COVID-19 […]
Claim goes forward in VFOIA case
Where plaintiff requested that defendant city provide all documents relating to finalizing ballot language for a 2020 casino referendum, requested 2022 documents concerning specific phrases, and made a second request that sought documents with one more phrase, plaintiff has not adequately pleaded most of his claims under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. However, plaintiff […]
Guidance provided about ‘personnel information’
Where appellant sought records under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act relating to municipal employment disputes, the matter is remanded because, in making its rulings whether the requested records were exempt or nonexempt from disclosure, the trial court used “definitions of ‘personnel record’ from a previous version of the statute, instead of ‘personnel information.’” In [&hell[...]
Verdicts & Settlements
- Plaintiff injured in crash with oncoming vehicle — $235,000 settlement
- Driver killed in rear-end collision with tractor-trailer — $1.5M settlement
- Man died from pancreatic cancer after delayed response — $1.8M settlement
- Worker fell off roof, rendering him a paraplegic — $1.25M settlement
- Driver sustained permanent hearing loss after traffic collision — $240,000 settlement
- Plaintiff suffered concussion in rear-end collision — $81,000 verdict
- Builder misrepresented home status to buyers — $675,000 verdict
- Low potassium led to cardiac arrest, death of patient — $1M settlement
- Excessive propofol caused death in dialysis patient — $850,000 settlement
- Pedestrian struck in crosswalk in hit-and-run incident — $300,000 settlement
- Navy veteran killed in collision with box truck — $1.85M arbitration award
- Motorcyclist ejected from bike in collision with SUV — $1.5M settlement
Opinion Digests
- Company owner dodges breach of contract suit
- Employee’s own allegations doom minimum wage claim
- Federal government defeats former employee’s claims
- Principal wasn’t entitled to exclusively remote work
- USPTO properly redacted info in responsive documents
- Untimely lawsuit allowed to proceed
- Engineering consultant dismissed from suit
- Rule 60 motion was filed too late
- Nonprofit directors immune from ex-employees’ claims
- City, employees immune from whistleblower claims
- Experts excluded in condemnation damages suit
- Judgment entered against company for horse’s death
