University officials agree to release videotape of trampling at stadium
University officials agree to release videotape of trampling at stadium11/16/1993 |
WISCONSIN — University of Wisconsin officials agreed to release a videotape of last month’s trampling incident at Camp Randall Stadium after the Wisconsin State Journal filed suit.
Thousands of students pushed forward toward the field after their football team’s 13-10 win over Michigan in late October. At least 69 people were injured. UW-Madison police captured the stampede on video in the course of their routine videotaping of the student sections of the stadium.
The school denied a request the next day by the Wisconsin State Journal for the videotape on the grounds it was being used in an investigation of the incident. The investigation covered possible disciplinary action against UW employees and criminal charges against fans, according to Assistant Attorney General Alan Lee.
The Wisconsin State Journal filed a lawsuit Nov. 4 in Madison circuit court asking for disclosure of the videotape as a public record under the state’s Open Records Law.
The next day, prior to a scheduled hearing in circuit court, UW announced its decision to release the tape. That night reporters reviewed the tape, which showed fans from two student sections storming the field and a fence collapsing shortly before the game ended.
About 15 more media organizations filed requests for access to the tape that week.
(Wisconsin State Journal v. Board of Regents of the UW System; Media Counsel: Robert J. Dreps, Madison)