I'd been contemplating submitting a public records request for the interview transcripts referenced as Factual Items (FI) in the UNC Notice of Allegation. Even though UNC can claim to not have possession of them, I believe should be releasable per G.S. §132-1 of North Carolina's public records law.
When the NCAA conducts these sorts of interviews, they reportedly keep records of the interviews on its secure server, making the documents available to the member institution. Though the University does not possess a physical holding of the transcripts, I believe Associated Press v NCAA (2010) sets precedents and I see no fundamental difference between North Carolina's open records law and Florida's. (Additional information at http://www.splc.org/blog/splc/2010/05/fsu-ncaa-case-is-a-touchdown-for-transparency-a-fumble-for-ferpa-fundamentalists)
It might seem futile for me to make the request since I'm not a threat to challenge a possible UNC denial in court; but news organizations who have shown a willingness to test UNC's denials might be a different story.
I noticed today that Dan Kane (Raleigh News & Observer) has made just such a request. The 50+ hour estimate, if UNC complies, is no doubt based on the need to review and redact private information from the transcript records. Still, I'll be surprised if UNC, and the NCAA, don't resist and force the issue to court.
There are 31 transcript files listed in the Notice of Allegations that I think the public deserves to review:
FI216: February 18, 2015 – Interview transcript of Whitney Read.
Position: former ASPSA staff
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Read's description of her role as a tutor.
File: WRead_TR_021815_NorthCarolina_00231
FI217: February 11, 2015 – Interview transcript of Everett Withers
Position: former interim head football coach.
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Withers' level of knowledge about the AFRI/AFAM courses.
File: EWithers_TR_021115_NorthCarolina_00231
FI218: September 24, 2014 – Interview transcript of Jenn Townsend
Position: ASPSA staff
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Townsend's recollection that Owen did not want
AFRI/AFAM independent study courses used as frequently.
File: JTownsend_092414_TR_NorthCarolina_00231
FI219: September 25, 2014 – Interview transcript of Dick Baddour
Position: former director of athletics.
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Baddour's belief that individuals in the college of arts and sciences enrolled student-athletes in independent study courses, not athletics academic counselors.
File: DBaddour_TR_092514_NorthCarolina_00231
FI220: November 4, 2014 – Interview transcript of Ivory Latta
Position: assistant women's basketball coach.
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to [text redacted by UNC]
File: ILatta_TR_110414_NorthCarolina_00231
FI221: December 14, 2014 – Interview transcript of Roy Williams
Position: head men's basketball coach.
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, R. Williams' concern about the number of men's basketball student-athletes majoring in AFRI/AFAM.
File: RWilliams_TR_120414_NorthCarolina_00231
FI222: November 20, 2014 – Interview transcript of Cynthia Reynolds.
Position: former ASPSA staff
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Reynolds' description of her relationship with Crowder.
File: CReynolds_TR_112014_NorthCarolina_00231
FI223: November 5, 2014 – Interview transcript of Corey Holliday.
Position: associate athletic director
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Holliday's description of John Bunting's (Bunting), former head football coach, deference to ASPSA when it came to course selection.
File: CHolliday_TR_110514_NorthCarolina_00231
FI224: September 25, 2014 – Interview transcript of Travis Gore.
Position: former AFAM admin/staff
This includes, but is not limited to, Gore's description of Nyang'oro's relationship with Lee.
File: TGore_092514_TR_NorthCarolina_00231
FI225: September 24, 2014 – Interview transcript of Joe Holladay
Position: former assistant men's basketball coach.
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Holladay's understanding that Walden helped the men's basketball student-athletes pick courses.
File: JHolladay_TR_092414_NorthCarolina_00231
FI226: August 27, 2014 – Interview transcript of Wayne Walden.
Position: former ASPSA staff
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Walden's explanation for AFRI/AFAM courses with
restricted enrollment, where he would call Crowder to get a student-athlete enrolled.
File: WWalden_TR_082714_NorthCarolina_00231
FI227: August 20, 2014 – Interview transcript of Amy Kleissler.
Position: former ASPSA staff
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Kleissler's description of how the athletics academic
counselors in ASPSA would want her to track AFRI/AFAM courses.
File: AKleissler_TR_082014_NorthCarolina_00231
FI228: August 12, 2014 – Interview transcript of Jamie Lee.
Position: former ASPSA staff
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Lee's description of her relationship with Crowder and
Nyang'oro.
File: JLee_TR_081214_NorthCarolina_00231
FI229: August 14, 2014 – Interview transcript of Beth Bridger.
Position: former ASPSA staff
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Bridger's description of ASPSA's relationship with the
AFRI/AFAM department.
File: BBridger_TR_081414_NorthCarolina_00231
FI230: July 30, 2014 – Interview transcript of Harold Woodard.
Position: associate dean; former director of Center for Student Success & Academic Counseling
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Woodard's recollection that Owen had expressed some
concerns to him regarding the number of student-athletes enrolled in AFRI/AFAM courses.
File: HWoodard_TR_073014_NorthCarolina_00231
FI231: July 31, 2014 – Interview transcript of Brent Blanton.
Position: former ASPSA staff
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Blanton's description of Crowder's interaction with ASPSA.
File: BBlanton_TR_073114_NorthCarolina_00231
FI232: July 30, 2014 – Interview transcript of John Blanchard.
Position: former senior associate director of athletics
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Blanchard's 2006 meeting with the faculty athletic
committee concerning the anomalous courses offered in the AFRI/AFAM department.
File: JBlanchard_TR_073014_NorthCarolina_00231
FI233: July 7, 2017 – Interview transcript of Robert Mercer.
Position: former ASPSA director; special asst. for operations Johnson Center for Undergraduate Excellence
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Mercer reporting that some of the counselors in ASPSA worried how some student-athletes would stay in school once the institution stopped offering anomalous courses.
File: RMercer_TR_070714_NorthCarolina_00231
FI234: July 8, 2014 – Interview transcript of Jan Boxill.
Position: former ASPSA staff and faculty member
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Boxill's description of how she would turn in papers to
Crowder on behalf of women's basketball student-athletes.
File: JBoxill_TR_070814_NorthCarolina_00231
FI235: January 9, 2015 – Interview transcript of John Bunting.
Position: former football head coach
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Bunting's description of his relationship and expectations of the ASPSA staff.
File: JBunting_TR_010915_NorthCarolina_00231
FI236: November 4, 2014 – Interview transcript of Andrew Calder
Position: former assistant women's basketball coach.
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Calder's description of his relationship with ASPSA.
File: ACalder_TR_110414_NorthCarolina_00231
FI237: November 4, 2014 – Interview transcript of Sylvia Hatchell
Position: head coach women's basketball
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Hatchell's description of her relationship with Boxill.
File: SHatchell_TR_110414_NorthCarolina_00231
FI238: November 5, 2014 – Interview transcript of Joy Renner
Position: faculty member and chair of the Faculty Athletics Committee (FAC).
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Renner's description of the FAC's oversight role of athletics.
File: JRenner_TR_110514_NorthCarolina_00231
FI239: January 27, 2015 – Interview transcript of Butch Davis
Position: former head football coach.
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Davis' description of the relationship between ASPSA and the football program.
File: BDavis_TR_012715_NorthCarolina_00231
FI240: November 5, 2014 – Interview transcript of Steve Robinson,
Position: assistant men's basketball coach.
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Robinson's description of how the men's basketball team handled academic issues.
File: SRobinson_TR_110514_NorthCarolina_00231
FI241: August 13, 2014 – Interview transcript of John (Jack) Evans.
Position: Kenan-Flagler faculty; former Faculty Athletic Representative to the NCAA
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Evans' description of the role of the faculty athletics
representative.
File: JEvans_TR_081314_NorthCarolina_00231
FI242: July 30, 2014 – Interview transcript of Harold Woodard.
Position: associate dean; former director of Center for Student Success & Academic Counseling
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Woodard's role as a former supervisor of ASPSA.
File: HWoodard_TR_073014_NorthCarolina_00231 (duplicate of FI230)
FI243: July 7, 2014 – Interview transcript of Roberta (Bobbie) Owen.
Position: faculty and associate dean of undergraduate education
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Owen's role as a former supervisor of ASPSA.
File: BOwen_TR_070714_NorthCarolina_00231
FI244: November 5, 2014 – Interview transcript of Chris Derrickson
Position: registrar.
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Derrickson's description of the history of independent study courses and how they applied to a degree at the institution.
File: CDerrickson_TR_110514_NorthCarolina_00231
FI245: August 28, 2014 – Interview transcript of Betsy Taylor
Position: student services manager with the academic advising program in the college of
arts and sciences and the general college.
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Taylor's understanding that the anomalous courses taught in the AFRI/AFAM department were independent study courses.
File: BTaylor_TR_082814_NorthCarolina_00231
FI246: August 29, 2014 – Interview transcript of Jay Smith
Position: faculty member; member of ad hoc Athletic Reform Group
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, J. Smith's description of the 12-hour-rule limitation for independent study courses.
File: JSmith_TR_082914_NorthCarolina_00231
FI247: July 31, 2014 – Interview transcript of Susan Malloy.
Transcript: This includes, but is not limited to, Malloy's understanding of the 12-hour limitation on
independent study courses.
File: SMalloy_TR_073114_NorthCarolina_00231
