The Reveille’s editor in chief, Josh Archote, sued LSU for the release of records related to the university’s internal investigation of Donald Abels, a former Greek Life administrator who in 2019 was accused of creating multiple fake identities to entrap LSU fraternities in university policy violations and state drinking laws. 
Archote is represented by lawyers from Tulane’s First Amendment Law Clinic, located in New Orleans. The lawsuit was filed Monday afternoon in the 19th Judicial District Court. 

“The Reveille needs access to university records to continue serving as a watchdog over LSU,” Archote said. “We believe that records related to the investigation of a former Greek Life administrator are being unfairly kept behind closed doors away from the public, which deserves to know how the state’s flagship university handled a case of alleged employee misconduct.”
LSU Police concluded in 2019 that the then—assistant director of Greek Life, Abels, was using the Interfraternity Council’s secure database, fake social media profiles and a fake email account to entrap fraternities in university policy violations. 
No criminal laws were broken, however, so they referred the matter to an internal investigation. On Sept. 29, Archote submitted a public records request to LSU’s general counsel office to inspect records related to an internal investigation of Abels. 
LSU denied the request, saying that the requested documents weren’t subject to public record, and used a previous court case, McMakin v. LSU, as a basis for the denial.
In the McMakin case, LSU was sued for the release of the same records, but the court sided with the university because Abels’ “right to privacy in his employment/personnel records are superior” to the plaintiff’s public records request. 
The lawsuit filed on Archote’s behalf describes why the public’s interest in the content of the records—how LSU investigates employee misconduct—greatly outweighs whatever privacy concerns Abels or LSU may have. 
“If LSU declined to investigate him, that is a matter of public interest,” the lawsuit states. “If LSU investigated his conduct but found that it did not violate any policies, that also is a matter of public interest. If LSU investigated Abel’s conduct, found it improper and imposed discipline, that is a matter of public interest. And if LSU investigated Abel’s conduct, found it improper, but declined to discipline him, that also would be of interest to the public — here and elsewhere.”
The lawsuit asks the court to require LSU to 

• produce the requested documents or show cause to the contrary;
• pay reasonable attorney’s fees and costs; and
• award Archote any damages civil penalties he may be entitled to.