Last year, the University of Washington Board of Regents were found guilty of violating WA's Open Public Meetings Act twenty-four times. That lawsuit stemmed from secret meetings that the UW Regents (and current President Dr. Cauce) had at the UW President's mansion as they discussed plans to build a new underground animal lab on campus with a budget of over $120 million -- a controversial decision that they wanted to keep hidden from the public. In an email exchange, Dr. Cauce even remarked that the lab being underground would help them to not have to deal with animal rights activists. From the decision-making process to the design of the lab...all was crafted to keep the university's plans to expand animal testing (at a time when many major research institutions are moving away from animal use) hidden from public scrutiny. That lawsuit sparked the No New Animal Lab campaign, which has brought international attention to the UW's torture of animals and the university leadership's attempts to keep secrets.  

And now the UW Regents are being sued again for allegedly violating the OPMA! This time they are accused of choosing Dr. Cauce as the new university president in a meeting that was closed to the public. Once again, the Regents deliberated behind closed doors and made pre-planned votes when in the public eye, completely removing the public from the important opportunity to have input.

The Washington State Governor appoints the University of Washington Regents, and so this secrecy falls on the governor to deal with. The Regents and Dr. Cauce have shown that they are willing to repeatedly close doors to the public -- and it's time to let the sun in.

Governor Inslee: You've created a Board of Regents that makes sham votes about important matters and repeatedly deceives the public. Put an end to the secrecy.