Happy ending predicted for EKU Open Records Flap

Frustrated by a change in university policy following the Kappa Alpha Psi hazing incident - a change that caused the university police to begin redacting large portions of police reports given to the Eastern Progress - the student newspaper declared, "We're Not Chicken!" and sought an Attorney General's ruling.

That was last spring.

Over the summer the Attorney General agreed with the paper.

In the first edition of the fall term (Aug 28), new Progress Editor Ben Kleppinger wrote of the victory and declared,

" If the university police are unwilling to allow the public to see the open records they have a right to see in a timely manner, the Progress will continue fighting and holding the university accountable, every week, until things change.

It's been nearly a month now and during that time - not a peep out of the chicken coup. So KSN&C decided to check in with Kleppinger to see how its going.

It's getting very close to being resolved, Kleppnger said. After several meetings involving the university counsel, the police, and others, they have finally "worked out a plan." Based on those meetings, the University Counsel is "putting together some guidelines" that provide police reports to the Progress, but which also will describe certain circumstances where the police may redact information with a process for counsel review.

Kleppinger thinks this will work out well for everyone and the Progress will outline the agreement in the paper when details are finalized.

Meanwhile, the incident that apparently caused the heavy police redactions has gone to trial. WKYT-TV reported, EKU student Brent Whiteside testified in August that "he feared for his life on campus" and was "beaten every day for close to two months...with paddles, canes and fists" - all to join the fraternity.

The beatings started on January 29th, and ended on March 6th when Whiteside said he vomited and urinated blood. He went to the hospital where he was told he was having kidney failure.

21-year-old Thomas Barnes, 22-year-old Gerald McLaren and 32-year-old Alonzo McGill, accused of beating Whiteside, have pleaded not guilty to fourth degree assault charges.

EKU has suspended the fraternity for eight years.

The judge said the case will go to trial in late October.