FREEDOM OF INFORMATION COMMISSION

OF THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT

 

 

In The Matter of a Complaint by                                               FINAL DECISION

Regina Lane,

 

Complainant

 

against                                                                                      Docket #FIC 1997-131

 

Supervisor, Family Counseling

Clinic, Department of Marriage

and Family Therapy, Southern

Connecticut State University,

 

Respondent                                                                        December 10, 1997

 

The above-captioned matter was heard as a contested case on September 15, 1997, at which time the complainant and the respondent appeared, stipulated to certain facts and presented testimony, exhibits and argument on the complaint.

After consideration of the entire record, the following facts are found and conclusions of law are reached:

1.  The respondent is public agency within the meaning of §1-18a(a), G. S.

 

2.     By letter dated April 7, 1997, the complainant requested that the respondent provide her with a copy of the following:

 

a.      the handbook or brochure describing the program, policy, and procedures of supervised visitation at SCSU-MFT;

 

b.     the administrative description for the personnel who participate in the supervised visitation sessions;

 

c.      the educational requirements of the personnel who participate in the supervised visitation sessions; and

 

d.     the certification of the personnel who participate in the supervised visitation sessions.

 

3.     By letter dated April 21, 1997, and filed on April 23, 1997, the complainant appealed to this Commission alleging that the respondent failed to respond to her request for records.

 

4. Section 1-19(a), G.S., in relevant part provides:

 

Except as otherwise provided by any federal law or state statute, all records maintained or kept on file by any public agency, whether or not such records are required by any law or by any rule or regulation, shall be public records and every person shall have the right to receive a copy of such records in accordance with the provisions of §1-15, G.S.

 

5. Section 1-15(a), G.S., in relevant part provides:

 

Any person applying in writing shall receive, promptly upon request, a plain or certified copy of any public record.

 

6.     It is found that the requested records more fully described in paragraph 2, above, are public records within the meaning of §§1-18(a)(d) and 1-19(a), G.S.

 

7.     It is found that the respondent did not respond to the complainant’s request until August 19, 1997, at which time she provided the complainant with a copy of the following records:

a.      the planned program describing the educational requirements of all graduate students engaged in supervised visits;

 

b.     the program brochure;

 

c.      the supervised visitation brochure; and

 

d.     the materials describing aspects of the supervised visitation program.

 

8.     The complainant contends that her request described in paragraph 2a, above, included a wide range of various documents not provided by the respondent on August 19, 1997.

 

9.     It is found however that the records provided to the complainant, as described in paragraph 7, above, constitute all of the records reasonably responsive to the complainant’s request described in paragraphs 2a, b, and c, above. 

 

10. With regard to the complainant’s request described in paragraph 2d, above, the respondent contends that the only personnel who participate in the supervised visitation program are interns who do not have certification. 

 

11.  It is found however that senior staff members and family therapists, who are certified, participate in the supervised visitation program and that the respondent did not provide a copy of such certification records to  the complainant. 

 

12. It is therefore concluded that the respondent violated §1-15(a) and 1-19(a), G.S., by by failing to promptly provide the complainant with copies of the requested records described in paragraph 2a-c, above and by failing to comply with that portion of the complainant’s request described in paragraph 2d, above.

 

 

 

The following order by the Commission is hereby recommended on the basis of the record concerning the above-captioned complaint.

 

1.     The respondent shall forthwith provide the complainant with a copy of the certification records of the senior staff members and family therapists who participate in the supervised visitation program.

 

2.     Henceforth, the respondent shall strictly comply with the promptness and disclosure requirements set forth in §§1-15(a) and 1-19(a), G.S. 

 

 

                            Approved by Order of the Freedom of Information Commission at its regular meeting of December 10, 1997.

 

 

 

 

 

_________________________

Doris V. Luetjen

Acting Clerk of the Commission

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PURSUANT TO SECTION 4-180(c), G.S., THE FOLLOWING ARE THE NAMES OF EACH PARTY AND THE MOST RECENT MAILING ADDRESS, PROVIDED TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION COMMISSION, OF THE PARTIES OR THEIR AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE.

 

THE PARTIES TO THIS CONTESTED CASE ARE:

 

Regina Lane

P.O. Box 2472

Milford, CT 06460

 

Supervisor, Family Counseling

Clinic, Department of Marriage

and Family Therapy, Southern

Connecticut State University

c/o Barbara Lynch

501 Crescent Street

New Haven, CT 06515-1355

 

 

 

 

__________________________

Doris V. Luetjen

Acting Clerk of the Commission

 

 

 

 

 

 

FIC1997-131/FD/tcg/12101997