Cache of Records Released by U. of Oregon Is Returned

The 22,000 University of Oregon records that were released without permission to a professor have been returned, The Register-Guard reports. According to the university, the records contained confidential information about faculty members, staff members, and students that should have been combed out before their release.

The Chronicle identified the recipient of the records as William T. Harbaugh, an economics professor who runs the blog UO Matters, which advocates for administrative transparency. Two Oregon employees were placed on administrative leave after the documents’ release.

“What was at stake went beyond a concern that confidential information was shared before being appropriately processed,” said the provost, Frances Bronet, in a letter on Wednesday. “Of greater concern is that the release violated the trust of the students, parents, faculty members, and others who saw the Office of the President as a safe place to share concerns or seek assistance.”