SAN ANTONIO – The Fourth Court of Appeals of Texas ruled in favor of KSAT 12 and several other news outlets’ request for the release of school and county records from law enforcement’s response to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde.
The court’s decision is the latest in a yearslong battle over what should be made public from one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.
The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District and Uvalde County argued that “governmental immunity” barred the outlets’ suit.
However, the court affirmed the release of the records due to the district and county’s refusal to provide public information, and there being “no genuine issue as to the applicability of any exception,” Justice Velia J. Meza said in an opinion describing the court’s decision.
The ruling does, however, grant the district and county the right to redact information required by law to stay confidential “so long as such redactions are supported by legal authority and competent evidence.”
“This ruling sends a clear message that government agencies cannot hide behind vague legal claims to avoid transparency,” Haynes Boone Media Law Chair Laura Prather said in a Wednesday afternoon news release. “The public has waited more than three years for answers about what went wrong that day. This decision brings us one step closer to those answers and preventing future tragedies.”
The defendants will have 45 days to petition for review with the Texas Supreme Court, and another 15 days to seek an extension of that deadline, according to Laura Prather, a media law chair for Haynes Boone, who represents the media outlets.
In a statement sent to KSAT Investigates on Wednesday afternoon, Uvalde CISD said it will discuss and “review” the court’s ruling during its next school board meeting on July 21.
“We understand the importance of this matter and are committed to ensuring transparency and thorough consideration. Following the discussion, the district will issue an official statement,” the district said Wednesday, in part.
An attorney representing Uvalde County also told KSAT Investigates on Wednesday that it is weighing whether the county will appeal the ruling to the Texas Supreme Court.
Background
In July 2024, a district court judge ordered Uvalde CISD and the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office to release their records. Those records include police body camera footage, 911 calls, emails and text messages related to the shooting and subsequent investigation.
In August 2024, the agencies filed an intent to appeal the decision, delaying the process.
After a judge’s ruling, the City of Uvalde released some of its records in August 2024. Two months later, the city turned over 48 additional videos.
A Uvalde police sergeant retired after the agency placed him on leave for failing to hand over the footage.
The Texas Department of Public Safety is continuing to fight the release of its records.
Last month, the Uvalde CISD board voted to review records tied to the lawsuit. The board set July 21 as the deadline to present an update on their review.
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