The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has been ordered to pay $25,000, and its trustees will need to agree to follow the state's open-meeting laws as part of settlement that dismissed a lawsuit over the board's handling of athletics discussions.
According to the Associated Press, David McKenzie, a lawyer in Wake County, filed a complain in May that accused trustees of violating the open-meetings laws by holding private discussions related to the school's athletics budgets.
The lawsuit came as UNC trustees discussed athletics amid growing tensions around schools jumping from league to league, seeking more money tied to TV deals.
McKenzie agreed to dismiss the suit after the university agreed to follow open meeting rules. The University agreed to pay $25,000 to cover McKenzie's expenses, costs and attorney's fees, according to a copy of the settlement obtained by WRAL.
“If they’re gonna take the public’s money, they’ve got to do things in public,” McKenzie told The News & Observer of Raleigh. “And then those times that they don’t, they may be on the hook for attorneys’ fees.”
A judge granted multiple temporary restraining issues against UNC's trustees going into closed sessions for athletics budget discussions that could also include discussions around future conference realignments.
