FOIA Request to Murray State University regarding Public University FY 2024 Employee Salaries on December 5, 2025.
On December 5, 2025, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Murray State University by Bluegrass Times. The request seeks detailed records concerning employee compensation for all individuals employed by the university during Fiscal Year 2024. This request is made under the Kentucky Open Records Act § 61.872 et seq., with a preference for receiving the information in electronic format.
The requested records aim to cover a range of data fields, including but not limited to: fiscal year, employee name, gender, age or year of birth (if not exempt), date of birth (if not exempt or limited to month/year), employer name, title or position, department, hire date, compensation amount (including base pay and any additional pay), compensation type (such as salary or hourly), and employment type (full-time or part-time). The request acknowledges that some fields may not be present in every record and asks for all responsive records to be produced regardless. In cases where portions of records are deemed exempt from disclosure, the request asks for non-exempt portions to be released in redacted form.
Bluegrass Times emphasizes its role in gathering and reporting news as essential for holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency. As such, they seek a fee waiver based on their status as a media organization. Additionally, the requester is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization that supports media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through FOIA requests.
We look forward to receiving this information in an electronic format as it will greatly aid in our reporting efforts. As always, we remain open for any questions or clarifications regarding this request.
