CJ Griffin Secures Dismissal of Cherry Hill Board’s Lawsuit Against Public Records Requester

CJ Griffin, partner and director of the Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C., recently secured a victory for journalist and public records requester Benjamin Shore and his outlet, Shore Investigates. A New Jersey Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Cherry Hill Board of Education seeking to restrict Shore’s ability to submit public records requests.

The school board had sought to prevent Shore from submitting public records requests for one year, alleging that his requests constituted harassment. The Judge dismissed the lawsuit under New Jersey’s Uniform Public Expression Protection Act, finding that the board failed to provide evidence that Shore acted with an improper or harassing intent.

“This is the right outcome. No public agency should sue anyone, let alone reporters, because they file an OPRA request or two a month. Public records belong to the public and no one should live in fear that they will be sued for seeking basic transparency,” said CJ Griffin.

The ruling further reinforces the protection afforded to individuals seeking government records and engaging in matters of public concern under New Jersey law.

To read more about the case in the New Jersey Monitor, click here.                                                                                                                                       

To read more about CJ Griffin and her work, click here.