A federal judge ruled today that previously undisclosed communication regarding a former University of Iowa general counsel should be made public.

Marcus Mills sued the UI, UI President Sally Mason, the state Board of Regents, Regent Bonnie Campbell, and the Stolar Partnership for wrongful termination and defamation in 2010. He had been accused of mishandling a 2007 sexual assault involving two Hawkeye football players in Hillcrest Residence Hall.

An investigation by the Stolar Partnership accused UI of mishandling the case, which prompted UI President Sally Mason to fire Mills and Dean of Students Phillip Jones. In February, Jones appealed a district court ruling that dismissed his case.

Tuesday’s ruling in Mills’ case forces the disclosure of information that passed between any member of the Board of Regents or staff members and the Stolar Partnership that referred to the investigation of the sexual assault, people involved in the investigation specifically any mention of Mills, information on those who assisted in the investigation and progress reports about the investigation.

According to the ruling, the decision was in part due to a waiver from the Stolar report “to be completely open and transparent about the conduct of the investigation and its independence.”

Stolar and the regents have 20 days to review the information and release it.

by Brent Griffiths