State Supreme Court Considers UConn Ticket Lists

HARTFORD (AP) – Connecticut’s open records watchdog agency has softened its position on whether the University of Connecticut can claim its season ticket holders’ lists are confidential trade secrets.

A Freedom of Information Commission attorney told state Supreme Court justices December 5 that UConn probably does have the right to have confidential trade secrets after all, such as in bioscience research.

The FOI Commission says two other factors, however, should make the lists public: because general interest outweighs UConn’s need for confidentiality, and because UConn never showed the records were unavailable elsewhere.

The Hartford Courant reports the justices were surprised by the change, as was former state Rep. Jonathan Pelto. He requested the records in 2008, and said he was disappointed by the FOI agency’s new stance.

The justices did not say when they would rule.