The Detroit Free Press sued Michigan State University on Tuesday, asking a judge to order the school to turn over gift agreements with two of its largest donors.
The suit, filed in the state Court of Claims, alleges Michigan State violated state open records laws when it first denied a Free Press request for its agreements with the two donors, Mat Ishbia and Steve St. Andre, and then when MSU President Samuel Stanley denied an appeal for the records.
"It is the University's position that the individuals' privacy interests outweigh the Free Press' stated interest in disclosure," Stanley wrote in his denial.