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Director orders fuller search, original-format production in teacher’s records appeal
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Summary
In Casper v. Duchesne County School District, the DGO director found the district’s GRAMA search ‘haphazard’ and ordered a custodian-based, documented search and production of responsive records in original formats, including a search for recordings; the request for personal-email searches was denied.
The Department of Government Records director ruled that Duchesne County School District did not perform a reasonable GRAMA search in response to petitioner Ginger Casper’s request and ordered a supplemental, custodian-based search and more complete production.
Casper told the hearing she had asked on Jan. 29, 2026 for all communications and materials sent to UPAC/UPAK about her, including who sent and received them, transmission logs, attachments, full email threads and any retained recordings. She said DCSD’s rolling, forwarded-production left out headers, attachments and recordings and did not include a written, searchable certification of who or what systems were searched.
The district’s representative, Mr. Miles, said the district searched personnel files and administrative records, forwarded emails to Casper and provided records obtained from UPAC; he said the district does not maintain or have access to employees’ personal email accounts and therefore cannot search them directly.
After questioning both parties, the director found the district’s production to be incomplete and the search process insufficient under GRAMA. The director ordered the district to:
- conduct and document a full custodian-based search and provide a written searchable search certification identifying custodians, systems, date ranges and search terms; - produce responsive, nonexempt records in their original formats (individual emails, with headers, rather than pasted-forward threads), including attachments, transmission records and meeting records; and - search for and report on any retained recordings relevant to the request.
The director denied the portion of Casper’s request seeking searches of employees’ private email accounts, finding the petitioner had not shown those personal messages were sent in an official capacity and further noting Casper had obtained records directly through UPAC. A written decision is to follow within seven business days, and either party may appeal to district court within 30 calendar days.
Casper said she sought the certification and original-format records to verify what the district sent to UPAC and to reconstruct records that she says were used in disciplinary actions affecting her professional credentials. The district said it forwarded items it maintained and provided any records it had been able to locate.