HELENA, Mont. ― State education officials must disclose the disciplinary records of a former quarterback accused of rape for the public to understand what the University of Montana is doing to protect students from sexual assault, the attorney for Into the Wild author Jon Krakauer said in court filings.
Attorney Mike Meloy urged the Montana Supreme Court to uphold District Judge Kathy Seeley’s ruling that Commissioner of Higher Education Clay Christian must release records of any actions he took in the case against Jordan Johnson.
Reversing Seeley’s decision “will only endorse efforts to keep secret the university’s treatment of sexual assaults among students,” Meloy wrote in Monday’s filing.
State attorneys representing Christian are appealing the district judge’s decision, arguing that releasing educational records without a student’s consent could threaten Montana’s federal education funding.
Johnson, who graduated last year, was accused of raping a female student in 2012. Before he was acquitted in state court, a university court recommended expulsion of an unnamed student ― later identified as Johnson ― after concluding the rape had occurred.
The accused student appealed the university court’s decision to Christian. Johnson was not expelled, and Krakauer is seeking records to determine whether Christian took any action to reverse the university court’s decision.
Krakauer sought the information for a book published last year called “Missoula” about sexual assaults on college campuses.
