Judicial Watch Victory: PA Appeals Court Rules Bucks County Acted in Bad Faith by Illegally Withholding Covid-19 School Guidance Records

Commonwealth Court Affirms Trial Court Award of Sanctions against Bucks County in the Amount of $3,000 for its Bad-Faith Denial of Public Records to Judicial Watch Client

 (Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled that Bucks County, Pennsylvania acted in bad faith in unlawfully suppressing public records concerning the county health department’s Covid-19 school guidance. The Commonwealth Court affirmed the trial court’s May 2023 award of sanctions against Bucks County in the amount of $3,000 to Judicial Watch client, Megan Brock.

Brock is a parent who was sued by Bucks County after the trial court’s ruling in her favor in an effort to prevent the release of documents related to Covid restrictions and the re-opening of the county’s schools that she requested under the Commonwealth’s Right-to-Know Law (County of Bucks v. Megan Brock (Nos. 2022-03083 and 2022-02979)).

In February and March 2022, Brock sent a public records requests asking for all electronic correspondence between Bucks Co. executives and the Health Department regarding public school Covid-19 guidance, which was issued in August 2021. Brock was trying to determine who authorized the reopening guidance that was changed to include more restrictive rules about masks, quarantining, and testing.

“This ruling confirms that Bucks County egregiously targeted my civil rights by wrongfully withholding public records,” said Brock. “It’s frightening as an everyday American to be bullied and attacked by your own government. I’m extremely thankful to Judicial Watch for their hard work in protecting my rights and the rights of all Americans. When Bucks County filed multiple lawsuits against me for exercising my constitutional rights, Judicial Watch was there when no one else had my back. I’m grateful for this legal victory and the precedent it sets for all Pennsylvanians, who have the right to government transparency. This was not a fair fight, and I could not have fought this battle alone. Judicial Watch has again ensured that no one is above the law, not even radical, local politicians!”

“This a nice victory for transparency and accountability over arrogant local officials who abused citizens and schoolchildren over Covid,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The court’s imposing the maximum bad-faith penalties on Bucks County sends a warning to every bureaucrat and elected official in Pennsylvania that no one is above the law.”

Judicial Watch was assisted by J. Chadwick Schnee of Schnee Legal Services LLC in Lititz, PA.

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