ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Sherrone Moore's former executive assistant is suing the University of Michigan, claiming the school violated the Freedom of Information Act by denying requests made on her behalf after the football coach was fired for having an inappropriate relationship with her.
Paige Shiver and her attorneys filed a lawsuit on Wednesday in a Washtenaw County court seeking requested records and punitive damages.
“It was important for our client to file this initial FOIA lawsuit to ensure the truth and facts come out,” attorney Andrew M. Stroth said.
School spokesman Paul Corliss declined comment.
Moore was fired in December after leading the Wolverines for two seasons following Jim Harbaugh’s move to the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers.
He was accused of confronting Shiver, with whom he had been having an affair, and blaming her for his firing. Authorities said she had previously ended the affair and spoken to school officials about it.
Moore pleaded no contest to trespassing and malicious use of a telecom device and was placed on probation in April for 18 months.
Shiver did not attend the hearing and released a statement saying the sentence “does not reflect the harm done to me."
The plea deal came after attorney Ellen Michaels planned to aggressively challenge how police gathered and shared information to get an arrest warrant. She argued that police didn’t disclose that Moore and Shiver had a working relationship that involved calls and text messages.
Attorney Julie Murphy sent the university a series of FOIA requests, including the investigative file related to Moore’s firing, from February to June and each was denied by the school.
“This public university paid Jenner & Block $12 million to investigate the Sherrone Moore scandal and the abuse, Title IX and Title VII violations within the athletic department and Schembechler Hall, yet now refuses to release the investigation’s findings,” Stroth said.
Editor's note: The University of Michigan holds Michigan Public's broadcast license.
