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A lawsuit has been filed against the University of Alaska Anchorage by student Lori Johnston. The lawsuit demands that UAA comply with the Alaska Access to Public Records Statutes and turn over any evidence of a contribution to the Northern Light, the student newspaper, from a private donor earlier this year.

The lawsuit is the most recent step Johnston has taken in her search for such records. She was not willing to elaborate on why she believes the university has not turned over all documents pertaining to a supposed contribution from an outside source.

Johnston says she believes the Northern Light received thousands of dollars from a donor that was not approved by the Media Board or USUAA Assembly, and she says students should be concerned and aware of decisions made without their input or knowledge.

Beginning in late spring 2001, Johnston requested financial records and correspondence from the Northern Light editor detailing the suspected contribution. When the records she received did not show evidence of such a donation, she requested documentation from UAA administration, which also failed to illustrate any such contribution. The Northern Light and UAA said they do not have any records of such a transaction because it did not occur.

“We feel that UAA has turned over all relative documents she requested. We cannot build records from data that does not exist,” said journalism and public communications professor Mel Kalkowski, speaking on behalf of the university.

Johnston then appealed to the USUAA to investigate. An ad hoch committee was formed and headed by student Vice President David Parks to hear her concerns.

“We sat down with her to see what she was asking for, how we could help and what her concerns were,” said Parks.

The committee determined the university did nothing wrong.

“We came to the conclusion that she was given all the information she asked for,” said Parks.

Before filing the lawsuit, Johnston drafted a referendum concerning student media. The referendum states that no employee of the Northern Light, KRUA (the student radio station) or UAA may accept any contribution or funds without notifying the student body of the terms, name of the donor and monetary amount of the donation. It also states that such a transaction cannot take place without the express consent of the Media Board and the USUAA Assembly.

Johnston solicited 548 student signatures for the referendum that will appear on the ballot in the Nov. 13-14 student election as an advisory vote. If passed by students the referendum would then be voted on by the USUAA Assembly to decide if it will become a bylaw.

Johnston says there is currently no policy or guidelines that inform students how the student media accepts private contributions.

“At the same time they were seeking outside funding, they [the Northern Light] were asking for a student fee increase,” said Johnston.

The lawsuit states that UAA ignored Johnston's spring 2001 request for records and therefore violated her and other students right to due process.

“As the funding of the student newspaper is a matter of public record, as students are required to subsidize the student newspaper and therefore should be allowed knowledge and participation in its operation, as the documents requested would benefit the common good by being revealed, I respectfully demand to examine and copy the following document, records and evidence,” Johnston states in the suit.

The lawsuit specifically requests records of a meeting in late February or early March 2001 involving UAA Chancellor Lee Gorsuch, former Northern Light Editor Cynthia Deike-Sims, Media Board Chair Sherry Thompson and Student Programs Adviser Carol Lund.

The suit claims that this meeting was held to discuss a fee increase and possible contribution of funds from a private donor to the student newspaper. In the suit, Johnston also requests the time sheets for several staff and top executives of the University of Alaska.

The university has 40 days to respond to the suit filed on Sept. 24. Kalkowski says the UA General Counsel is preparing a response.