Public employee emails to stay private
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Updated: November 29, -0001
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The Wisconsin Supreme Court says not all e-mails sent by public employees on their work computers should be made public.
In a 5-2 ruling on Friday the court says the content of government workers' personal e-mail messages are not part of government business and are therefore not always subject to the state open records law.
The court ruled in favor of five teachers at the Wisconsin Rapids School District that fought against an open records request filed by a citizen to see their private e-mails.
The high court's decision overturns a lower court's ruling ordering that the e-mails be made public.
Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson wrote the majority opinion.
