"What's Wrong With This Picture?"

Mike Fancher, executive editor of the Seattle Times, writes his blog about the Seattle teachers union email case. The school district and the teachers union--both of which presumably did not want the public to be able to see these emails--had a quick and tidy little law suit to "resolve" the matter. The school district said it had no "active position" on whether to release the records and would not object to a court order prohibiting their release. (Wink, wink.) Of course neither the records requestor nor any other member of the public were allowed to participate--it's just the public's right to public records so why would the public have any stake? Nope. The two parties who might have something to lose from release of the records got to monopolize the law suit.

This "friendly law suit" stuff happens all the time, it's just rare for people to notice. And notice they have.