Quick summary
Paige Shiver, who used to be Sherrone Moore’s executive assistant, has filed a lawsuit against the University of Michigan claiming the school wouldn’t hand over public records she asked for after Moore was dismissed. The suit was filed in Washtenaw County and seeks the documents plus punitive damages.
What the lawsuit says
Shiver and her lawyers say the university ignored or denied a series of Freedom of Information Act requests made on her behalf between February and June. The complaint asks a court to force the school to produce the records and to award additional damages for the alleged refusal.
Background: the Moore situation, in plain English
Sherrone Moore was relieved of his coaching duties in December after two seasons leading the Wolverines following Jim Harbaugh’s departure to the NFL. The firing came amid revelations of an inappropriate relationship with Shiver. According to the complaint, Shiver had already ended the relationship and had informed school officials about it before the fallout.
Legal fallout and the plea
Moore later entered no-contest pleas to charges that included trespassing and misuse of a telecommunications device. He was given 18 months of probation in April. Shiver did not attend the sentencing and said afterward that the punishment didn’t match the harm she experienced.
Disputes about how the case was built
Shiver’s legal team argued there were serious questions about how investigators handled and shared evidence when seeking an arrest warrant. One of her attorneys said police did not make clear that Moore and Shiver had a professional relationship that included calls and text messages, an issue her defense intended to challenge.
Records requests and the university’s stance
Attorney Julie Murphy submitted multiple FOIA requests seeking the investigative file tied to Moore’s dismissal, but the university denied each request. A lawyer for Shiver says it’s especially troubling because the university hired an outside firm to investigate the episode and related workplace issues, yet won’t release the findings.
What’s next
The lawsuit aims to pry loose those documents and push the university into court over its refusal to disclose them. The school declined to comment through a spokesperson. For now, the case will play out in Washtenaw County and could determine whether those investigation documents see the light of day.
