he Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) declares that it is the state’s policy to give all persons full information about the actions of the government and that “the people shall be informed so that they may participate in the democratic process”, subject to FOIA’s privacy exemption. The privacy exemption: the privacy exemption consists of two elements, both of which must be present for the exemption to apply. First, the information must be of a “personal nature.” Second, the disclosure of such information must be a “clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy.” Courts have determined that information is of a personal nature if it reveals intimate or embarrassing details of an individual’s private life. The union of clerical workers at Michigan State University requested the trustees of the University to give them the names and addresses of the persons making monetary donations to the University. Michigan State objected because the disclosure of addresses was a violation of the right of privacy.
What will the Michigan Supreme Court decide in this case? Apply the IRAC method of legal reasoning by stating the Issue, Rule, Analysis, and Conclusion. There are no wrong conclusions (if your conclusion is supported by analysis).
