Krakauer: Court Ruling on Privacy Hurts Right to Know

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Author Jon Krakauer said he feels “a moral obligation” to fight a recent court ruling against him as he tries to obtain records detailing how the expulsion of a University of Montana quarterback over a rape allegation was overturned.

The author of “Into Thin Air” and “Into the Wild” said the decision by the Montana Supreme Court could hurt the public’s ability to access government records, and he is considering whether to petition the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn last week’s ruling.

In his first public comments on the decision, Krakauer told The Associated Press in a series of emails that he is speaking with his attorney about his options, which include asking the state court to reconsider or appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Both of us feel strongly that we should not throw in the towel,” Krakauer said. “As we see it, we have a moral obligation to address what we believe is a significantly flawed decision that, if allowed to stand, is likely to have a very deleterious impact on right to know jurisprudence throughout the country.”

Five years ago, Krakauer requested documents related to how the University of Montana and the state Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education handled the rape allegation made by a fellow student against starting quarterback Jordan Johnson in 2012.

Krakauer was writing the book “Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town” at the time.

Johnson was acquitted of the rape charge in court after going through the university’s internal disciplinary process, where a recommendation to expel him was upheld by the university president.

Johnson appealed to Commissioner of Higher Education Clayton Christian, who oversees the state’s university system. Johnson stayed enrolled in the university, but it was never clear what action Christian took or why.

The state Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that Johnson’s privacy as a student outweighs the public’s right to know what Christian did.