University of Michigan Seeks to Dismiss Paige Shiver’s Records Lawsuit

<>

The University of Michigan filed a motion in Washtenaw County Circuit Court asking a judge to dismiss a public records lawsuit brought by Paige Shiver, a former executive assistant and athletic department aide to ex-football coach Sherrone Moore.

Shiver initiated the litigation in July, alleging that the institution improperly withheld public records tied to a sweeping internal investigation into Moore and the athletic department. The scope of that institutional review involved expenditures exceeding $11 million, according to reports from AOL.

Jurisdictional Arguments and Record Withholding Allegations

Online court records verify the filing date, though the complete legal brief was not immediately made available to the public. Representatives for the university did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

The underlying dispute stems from personnel actions executed late last year. The university terminated Sherrone Moore in December following the discovery of a four-year relationship with Shiver. In her lawsuit, Shiver claims the institution denied requests for transcripts, notes, and recordings from her interview with Jenner & Block, the outside law firm retained to investigate the athletic department’s culture. She also sought emails exchanged between Moore and Athletic Department Director Warde Manuel containing specific keywords such as “affair, discipline, pregnancy, baby and abortion,” alongside Moore’s complete investigatory file.

According to Shiver’s complaint, the university rejected her requests by asserting that no responsive records existed.

Legal Precedent and Related Criminal Proceedings

The civil records dispute unfolds against a backdrop of related legal fallout. Following his dismissal from the university in December, Moore entered Shiver’s home and threatened her and himself with kitchen knives. In April, Moore entered a no-contest plea to charges of trespassing and the malicious use of a telecommunications device, resulting in a sentence of 18 months of probation.

The ongoing legal maneuvering in Washtenaw County Circuit Court demonstrates the persistent challenges universities face when managing public records transparency during executive departures.