Bard v. University of Pittsburgh Police Department
Case Number: SA-25-000633
Court: Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas
Client: Henry Bard
Background: In April 2025, freelance journalist Henry Bard submitted a request under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law seeking various records from the University of Pittsburgh Police Department, including financial records.
The university denied the request, claiming that state universities are exempt from the definition of an “agency” under the RTKL. Bard appealed to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records, which sided with the university and dismissed the appeal.
On behalf of Bard, Paula Knudsen Burke, the Reporters Committee’s Local Legal Initiative attorney for Pennsylvania, appealed the OOR’s determination to the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. The appeal argues that the university’s police department qualifies as a local agency under the RTKL because there is governmental control over its operations, it serves a governmental function, and the government exercises significant financial control over public money assigned to the department.
The court scheduled a hearing in the case for June 24, 2026.
Quote: “The Department’s connection to a state-related institution does not isolate it from scrutiny under the RTKL; had the OOR performed the proper analysis, it would have determined that Respondent is properly characterized as a local agency,” the appeal argues.
Filings:
2025-04-09: OOR final determination
2025-05-09: Requester notice of appeal and petition for review
2026-04-28: Case management order