(The Center Square) – The University of Florida has been accused of holding closed meetings and violating the state’s Sunshine Law by not announcing the exact location of some meetings, though the law does not specify this point.
The University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville with a fall 2023 enrollment of over 61,000 students.
Florida’s Government-in-the-Sunshine law establishes that all state agency board meetings, which includes those at public universities, “are declared to be public meetings open to the public at all times.”
“Reasonable notice of all such meetings” must be provided and the minutes must be “promptly recorded” and “open to public inspection.”
“No resolution, rule, or formal action shall be considered binding except as taken or made” at a government meeting that is open to the public.
The UF governing board gave notice of its meeting dates as required as well as gave general locations, but received accusations of violating the Sunshine Law and “conducting closed meetings,” because it did not announce exact locations, according to Inside Higher Ed and UF’s board meeting webpage.
In response to the accusations, UF spokesman Steve Orlando said that “our board retreats are open to the public,” according to NPR affiliate WUFT.
“Our intent has never been to close them, and anyone who wishes to attend them may do so,” Orlando said.
Orlando did not respond to The Center Square’s request for comment at the time of publishing.
WUFT claims that the UF board of trustees has been meeting in undisclosed settings since 2018 and has not published minutes from some of its retreats.
Indeed, the minutes were not released on the UF board meeting webpage for either the September 2024 board retreat in Tampa or the September 2023 retreat in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Save for a few exceptions, however, minutes have been routinely published from the UF board meetings and retreats and general locations have also always been announced, as observed on the meeting webpage.
According to WUFT, UF said that “it will specify the location of next year’s retreat in advance of the meeting.”
When reached twice each for comment, neither UF’s Board of Trustees faculty representative Sarah Delphia Lynne nor UF media relations responded.
Board members attending meetings not abiding by the Sunshine Law are guilty of second degree misdemeanors, a crime which is punishable by “a definite term of imprisonment not exceeding 60 days,” or a $500 fine, according to sections 775.082 and 775.083 respectively of Florida statutes.
Director of UF’s Brechner Center for the Advancement of the First Amendment David Cuillier told The Center Square the importance of open meetings.
“It is important that government bodies follow open meeting laws so the public can observe how important decisions are made that affect them and their taxes.”
“When public officials are discussing the public’s business, we ought to be able to hear what they say, so we can hold them accountable,” Cuillier said.
“Transparency makes government better and discourages corruption, and that helps everyone,” Cuillier said.
