A King County judge has ruled the “University of Washington’s governing board violated the state’s Open Public Meetings Act on 24 separate occasions in 2012, 2013 and 2014, when members discussed business over dinner at the UW president’s home,” the Seattle Times reported.
A lawsuit was filed by animal rights activists opposing construction of a $124 million animal testing lab on campus. The animal lab was discussed at least once during the meetings at the president’s residence, which is owned by the university.
The UW had defended those meetings, claiming they complied with state law, but activists complained they “had the purpose and effect” of shutting the public out of the regents’ decision-making process, and the judge agreed in her ruling that the meetings were not “open and public” as required by state law.
Photo: Animal rights activists picketing outside the UW president’s official residence; a King County judge has ruled that holding business meetings there violated the state’s Open Meetings Law.