Paige Shiver, the former executive assistant to ex-Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore, has filed a lawsuit against the University of Michigan. Shiver alleges the university violated the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by denying her requests for records after Moore was fired for an inappropriate relationship with her.
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in a Washtenaw County court by Shiver and her attorneys, who are seeking the requested records and punitive damages. Attorney Andrew M. Stroth stated, "It was important for our client to file this initial FOIA lawsuit to ensure the truth and facts come out."
A university spokesman declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Moore was dismissed in December after coaching the Wolverines for two seasons, following Jim Harbaugh's departure to the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers. Reports indicated that Moore confronted Shiver, with whom he was having an affair, and blamed her for his termination. Authorities had stated that Shiver had previously ended the affair and had informed school officials about it.
In April, Moore pleaded no contest to charges of trespassing and malicious use of a telecom device, receiving 18 months of probation. Shiver, who did not attend the hearing, released a statement asserting that the sentence "does not reflect the harm done to me."
Moore's plea deal was reached after his attorney, Ellen Michaels, had planned to contest the methods used by police to gather and share information for an arrest warrant. The defense argued that law enforcement failed to disclose the professional working relationship between Moore and Shiver, which involved communications via calls and text messages.
According to court documents, attorney Julie Murphy submitted a series of FOIA requests to the university between February and June, seeking the investigative file related to Moore's firing, among other documents. All of these requests were reportedly denied by the school.
"This public university paid Jenner & Block $12 million to investigate the Sherrone Moore scandal and the abuse, Title IX and Title VII violations within the athletic department and Schembechler Hall, yet now refuses to release the investigation’s findings," Stroth said.