Opinion

Iloh v. The Regents of the U. of Cal.

Court
California Court of Appeal
Filed
Jan 13, 2023
Status
Published
Cited by
0 cases
Authority
More cited than 22.4%

The opinion

Filed 1/13/23

CERTIFIED FOR PUBLICATION

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION THREE

CONSTANCE ILOH,

Plaintiff and Appellant, G060856

v. (Super. Ct. No. 30-2021-01197536)

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OPINION

OF CALIFORNIA,

Defendant and Respondent;

THE CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC

INTEGRITY, INC.,

Real Party in Interest and Respondent.

Appeal from an order of the Superior Court of Orange County, Richard J.

Oberholzer, Judge.* Affirmed.

Tabah Law and Elvin I. Tabah for Plaintiff and Appellant.

*Retired Judge of the Kern Superior Court, assigned by the Chief Justice pursuant to

article VI, section 6 of the California Constitution.

Michael R. Goldstein for Defendant and Respondent.

Law Offices of Kelly Aviles, Kelly Aviles and Shaila Nathu for Real Party

in Interest and Respondent.

* * *

An assistant professor at a public university submitted four articles on

topics in her field of study to various academic journals unaffiliated with her university.

All four of those articles were later either retracted or corrected by the journals, at least in

part due to inaccurate references or text overlap from uncited sources. Soon after that,

the professor left her position at the university.

A third party investigating the article retractions sent the university a

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request under the California Public Records Act (CPRA) (Gov. Code, § 7920.000

et seq.) seeking certain postpublication communications between the professor, the

university, and the journals regarding the retracted articles. The university determined

the requested documents were subject to disclosure; the professor disagreed, filed a

petition for writ of mandate, and sought a preliminary injunction to prevent disclosure.

The trial court denied the professor’s motion for preliminary injunction,

concluding she had not met her burden of establishing a likelihood of prevailing on the

merits. Finding no abuse of discretion, we affirm. As explained below, the requested

communications qualify as public records under the CPRA, and the professor did not

establish the records are otherwise exempt from disclosure.

FACTS

Constance Iloh has a Ph.D. in Urban Education Policy. She was employed

at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) from 2015 to 2021, first as a postdoctoral

fellow, and then as an assistant professor in UCI’s School of Education. According to

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All further undesignated statutory references are to the Government Code.

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Iloh, her job duties as assistant professor included giving class lectures and conducting

education-related research.

During her time as a UCI professor, Iloh published multiple research

articles on education in a variety of academic journals. At issue here are four such

articles published in journals unaffiliated with UCI: (1) Paving effective community

college pathways by recognizing the Latino post-traditional student (2018) in the Journal

of Latinos and Education; (2) Not non-traditional, the new normal: adult learners and the

role of student affairs in supporting older college students (2017-2018) in Colorado State

University’s Journal of Student Affairs; (3) Toward a new model of college ‘choice’ for a

Twenty-First-Century context (2018) in the Harvard Educational Review; and (4) Does

distance education go the distance for adult learners? Evidence from a qualitative study

at an American community college (2018) in the Journal of Adult and Continuing

Education.

The articles all dealt with topics in Iloh’s field of study at UCI (education),

and Iloh used her UCI e-mail address to communicate with the journals about her article

submissions. However, Iloh submitted the articles on her own behalf, not on behalf of

UCI; the articles were not part of any study paid for by UCI; the articles did not contain

UCI’s imprimatur; and UCI had no ownership interest in the articles.

After the articles were published, an anonymous source reportedly e-mailed

the four journals and demanded the articles be retracted. As a result, all four articles were

either retracted or corrected by the journals in which they were published: the Journal of

Latinos and Education retracted Iloh’s article in full; the Journal of Student Affairs

removed Iloh’s article and the entire issue in which it was published; the Harvard

Educational Review issued an errata statement; and the Journal of Adult and Continuing

Education issued a correction. Again, in communicating with the journals about the

retractions, Iloh used her UCI e-mail address.

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Although it is not entirely clear from the record, it appears the retractions

occurred due to concerns about possible plagiarism or inaccurate citation references in

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Iloh’s articles. For example, the Journal of Latinos and Education’s retraction explained

Iloh’s article “contain[ed] a substantial amount of text overlap with [various] sources,

which were either inaccurately referenced or not referenced within the article.”

Similarly, the Harvard Educational Review’s errata statement cited “multiple instances in

which the author incompletely attributed previously published material in the

introduction and literature review.” And the Journal of Adult and Continuing

Education’s correction explained that “[s]ections throughout the original manuscript have

been rewritten and updated and this manuscript also includes new references.”

The retractions caught the attention of Retraction Watch, an editorially

independent organization that maintains a database of article retractions in scientific

journals, covers incidents of particular note, and reports on academic publishing,

transparency, and accountability. Retraction Watch is published by the Center for

Scientific Integrity (CSI), a nonprofit public benefit corporation whose mission is “to

promote transparency and integrity in science and scientific publishing, and to

disseminate best practices and increase efficiency in science.”

In August 2020, Retraction Watch published an article about Iloh’s papers;

the article reported the papers had been “retracted and corrected, for plagiarism and

misuse of references.” The following month, to further its investigation, Retraction

Watch sent a CPRA records request to UCI seeking all correspondence from January

2019 onward (1) between UCI and Iloh regarding articles published in the four journals,

and (2) between UCI or Iloh and the four journals regarding articles authored by Iloh.

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We have not reviewed the contested records because they are not part of

our record. Nothing in this opinion should be construed to suggest we find that Iloh

actually committed plagiarism or otherwise violated university policy.

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UCI notified Iloh of the CPRA request and its intent to disclose the

responsive records. Iloh responded that the requested records fell outside the scope of the

CPRA and argued the request violated her privacy rights. UCI agreed to remove a few

records from its production, but maintained it would disclose the remaining records

absent a court order.

In April 2021, Iloh filed a verified petition against UCI and the Regents of

the University of California (the Regents) for writ of mandate, declaratory relief, and

injunctive relief to prevent disclosure. She did not name CSI as a real party in interest.

Iloh also filed an ex parte application for a temporary restraining order enjoining UCI and

the Regents from disclosing the records until her petition could be heard.

The Regents filed a statement of nonopposition to Iloh’s ex parte

application; it advised that the campus’s privacy officer had determined certain records

were responsive and nonexempt, but the Regents would nevertheless refrain from

releasing the records until the trial court adjudicated Iloh’s application. The Regents also

requested an order requiring Iloh to give notice of the proceedings to CSI.

In light of the Regents’ stipulation not to release the records, the trial court

denied Iloh’s application for a temporary restraining order, set a hearing date for a motion

for preliminary injunction, and ordered Iloh to serve any motion for preliminary

injunction on CSI.

Shortly thereafter, Iloh apparently left her position at UCI. In July 2021,

Iloh filed an amended petition naming CSI as a real party in interest and removing UCI as

a respondent. She then filed a motion for preliminary injunction enjoining the Regents

from disclosing the requested records to CSI. Iloh argued the requested correspondence

was not subject to disclosure because it was not a “public record” under the CPRA, and

in any event the correspondence was exempt from disclosure under the CPRA’s catchall

exemption and the exemption for personnel files. (We discuss these statutory provisions

in greater detail below.) Iloh also asserted that academic freedom is important to her and

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other professors, their academic work would be stifled if they were concerned that

informal communications would be made broadly available, and the production of her

correspondence would reduce her willingness to work for public institutions in the future.

The Regents again filed a statement of nonopposition. CSI opposed the

motion, asserting the requested records are “public records” under the CPRA, Iloh has no

reasonable expectation of privacy in the records, and any diminished privacy right is

outweighed by the public’s interest in understanding how a publicly funded university

like UCI responds to complaints of plagiarism and academic dishonesty.

After hearing oral argument, the trial court denied Iloh’s motion for

preliminary injunction, finding Iloh had not established a likelihood of prevailing on the

merits because she had not shown the requested records are not “public records” under

the CPRA, nor had she established the records are otherwise exempt from disclosure.

Iloh appeals from that order. (See Code Civ. Proc., § 904.1, subd. (a)(6) [order denying

an injunction is appealable].)

DISCUSSION

1. Guiding Principles

“‘As its name suggests, a preliminary injunction is an order that is sought

by a plaintiff prior to a full adjudication of the merits of [her] claim. [Citation.] To

obtain a preliminary injunction, a plaintiff ordinarily is required to present evidence of

the irreparable injury or interim harm that [she] will suffer if an injunction is not issued

pending an adjudication of the merits.’ [Citation.] ‘In deciding whether to issue

a preliminary injunction, a trial court weighs two interrelated factors: the likelihood the

moving party ultimately will prevail on the merits, and the relative interim harm to the

parties from the issuance or nonissuance of the injunction.’” (Marken v. Santa

Monica-Malibu Unified School Dist. (2012) 202 Cal.App.4th 1250, 1260 (Marken),

italics omitted.)

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The ruling on a motion for preliminary injunction generally rests in the

sound discretion of the trial court and will not be disturbed on appeal absent a showing of

abuse. (Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs v. County of Orange (2013)

217 Cal.App.4th 29, 49.) “‘Discretion is abused whenever, in its exercise, the court

exceeds the bounds of reason, all of the circumstances before it being considered’”

(Denham v. Superior Court (1970) 2 Cal.3d 557, 566), or when the court’s ruling “is ‘so

irrational or arbitrary that no reasonable person could agree with it’” (Sargon Enterprises,

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Inc. v. University of Southern California (2012) 55 Cal.4th 747, 773).

In this case, we must determine whether the trial court abused its discretion

in determining Iloh had not established a likelihood of prevailing on the merits of her

petition to prevent disclosure under the CPRA. Before addressing that question, we

review the relevant provisions of the CPRA, previously codified as section 6250 et seq.

and recently recodified and reorganized as section 7920.000 et seq.

“The [C]PRA, enacted in 1968, grants access to public records held by state

and local agencies. [Citation.] Modeled after the federal Freedom of Information Act

(5 U.S.C. § 552 et seq.), the [C]PRA was enacted for the purpose of increasing freedom

of information by giving members of the public access to records in the possession of

state and local agencies. [Citation.] Such ‘access to information concerning the conduct

of the people’s business,’ the Legislature declared, ‘is a fundamental and necessary right

of every person in this state.’” (Los Angeles County Bd. of Supervisors v. Superior

Court (2016) 2 Cal.5th 282, 290; see § 7921.000; see also Cal. Const., art. 1, § 3,

3

“‘[I]f the “likelihood of prevailing on the merits” factor depends upon the

construction of a statute or another question of law, rather than evidence to be introduced

at trial, our review of that issue is independent or de novo.’” (Amgen Inc. v. California

Correctional Health Care Services (2020) 47 Cal.App.5th 716, 731 (Amgen).) Here,

however, because the issues raised by Iloh on appeal largely involve factual questions

(e.g., whether the records relate to the public’s business), our review is for abuse of

discretion.

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subd. (b)(1) [“The people have the right of access to information concerning the conduct

of the people’s business, and, therefore, the meetings of public bodies and the writings of

public officials and agencies shall be open to public scrutiny”].)

Consistent with that fundamental right of access to information, the CPRA

dictates that “every person has [the] right to inspect any public record,” except those

records expressly exempted from disclosure. (§ 7922.525, subd. (a).) The CPRA broadly

defines ‘“public records’” to include “any writing containing information relating to the

conduct of the public’s business prepared, owned, used, or retained by any state or local

agency.” (§ 7920.530, subd. (a).) Our Constitution requires that these provisions

furthering the people’s right of access to information be “broadly construed.” (Cal.

Const., art. 1, § 3, subd. (b)(2); see Essick v. County of Sonoma (2022) 80 Cal.App.5th

562, 570.)

“Nevertheless, the act does not confer an absolute right of access. As part

of the CPRA, the Legislature included a provision declaring it was ‘mindful of the right

of individuals to privacy.’ [Citation.] This express policy declaration ‘“bespeaks

legislative concern for individual privacy as well as disclosure.”’” (Becerra v. Superior

Court (2020) 44 Cal.App.5th 897, 913; see § 7921.000.)

To balance those competing goals of privacy and public access, the CPRA

includes numerous exemptions that permit public agencies to refuse disclosure of certain

public records. For example, section 7927.700 exempts from disclosure any “personnel,

medical, or similar files, the disclosure of which would constitute an unwarranted

invasion of personal privacy.” Additionally, a catchall exemption permits a public

agency to withhold records if it can demonstrate “on the facts of the particular case the

public interest served by not disclosing the record clearly outweighs the public interest

served by disclosure of the record.” (§ 7922.000.)

Our Constitution requires that these exemptions be narrowly construed.

(Cal. Const., art. I, § 3, subd. (b)(2); see International Federation of Professional &

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Technical Engineers, Local 21, AFL-CIO v. Superior Court (2007) 42 Cal.4th 319, 329.)

“Moreover, the exemptions from disclosure provided by [the CPRA] are permissive, not

mandatory: They allow nondisclosure but do not prohibit disclosure.” (Marken, supra,

202 Cal.App.4th at p. 1262.) Thus, “a government agency has the discretion to invoke an

exemption under [the CPRA], but is not required to do so.” (Amgen, supra,

47 Cal.App.5th at p. 732.)

Although the CPRA includes a statutory procedure for a party requesting

disclosure to challenge an agency’s refusal to disclose a public record (see § 7923.000

et seq.), no comparable procedure exists for an interested third party to prevent the public

agency from disclosing public records. (Marken, supra, 202 Cal.App.4th at p. 1267.)

“‘Therefore, third parties must bring an independent action for declaratory relief or

traditional mandamus if they believe they will be adversely affected by disclosure.”

[Citation.] This type of mandamus action is commonly called a ‘reverse-CPRA action.’”

(Amgen, supra, 47 Cal.App.5th at p. 732.) “[A] party bringing a reverse-CPRA action

must show disclosure is ‘“otherwise prohibited by law,”’ that is, that the government

agency lacks discretion to disclose.” (Ibid.)

2. The Requested Records Are Public Records

Applying those authorities here, we first must determine whether the

requested records are public records subject to disclosure under the CPRA. As noted,

unless an exemption applies, the CPRA requires disclosure of any “public record,” which

the act defines as “any writing containing information relating to the conduct of the

public’s business prepared, owned, used, or retained by any state or local agency.”

(§ 7920.530, subd. (a).) The parties do not dispute that UCI, as a public university,

qualifies as a state agency. Further, the requested correspondence was sent and received

using UCI e-mail addresses and therefore is “owned, used, or retained” by a state

9

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agency. The controlling question, therefore, is whether the requested documents

“contain[] information relating to the conduct of the public’s business” within the

5

meaning of the CPRA. (Ibid., italics added.)

“Resolution of . . . [whether a writing concerns the public’s business] will

often involve an examination of several factors, including the content itself; the context

in, or purpose for which, it was written; the audience to whom it was directed; and

whether the writing was prepared by an employee acting or purporting to act within the

scope of his or her employment.” (City of San Jose v. Superior Court (2017) 2 Cal.5th

608, 618.) “Communications that are primarily personal, containing no more than

incidental mentions of agency business, generally will not constitute public records.”

(Id. at pp. 618-619.)

Broadly construing section 7920.530 as our Constitution requires (see Cal.

Const., art. I, § 3, subd. (b)(2)), we conclude the trial court did not abuse its discretion in

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UCI’s Guidelines for the UC Electronic Communications Policy, available

at https://www.policies.uci.edu/policies/procs/800-15.php [as of January 9, 2023],

archived at: <https://perma.cc/9KTG-C7LS>, confirm that “UCI email addresses . . . are

considered public records under the California Public Records Act and may be published

unless access is restricted under applicable law (e.g. Federal Family Educational Rights

and Privacy Act of 1974).”

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Citing Franklin v. Benevolent etc. Order of Elks (1979) 97 Cal.App.3d 915,

a case concerning the actual malice element of libel claims, Iloh argues that the CPRA

does not apply because she is not a “public official.” This argument reflects a

fundamental misunderstanding of the CPRA’s scope. The CPRA is not limited to

writings by public officials. The controlling question is whether the request seeks the

“public records” of a state or local agency. (§ 7920.530, subd. (a).) Although a person’s

status as a public official (and resulting reduced expectation of privacy) might be relevant

in the CPRA context when evaluating whether an exemption applies (see, e.g., BRV, Inc.

v. Superior Court (2006) 143 Cal.App.4th 742, 758 [considering school superintendent’s

status as public official in weighing various interests under the CPRA’s catchall

exemption]), it is not relevant to the threshold question of whether the requested

documents qualify as public records under the CPRA.

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finding the requested communications are public records. The articles at issue did not

concern personal matters unrelated to Iloh’s job as an assistant professor; they discussed

topics directly relevant to her field of study at UCI’s School of Education, and they were

published in journals devoted to that same field of study. Although the requested

communications are not before us, we can reasonably infer from the record that at least

some of those communications concern whether Iloh committed plagiarism or otherwise

violated university policies on academic integrity—an issue tied to the use of public

funds. (Cf. California State University Fresno Assn., Inc. v. Superior Court (2001)

90 Cal.App.4th 810, 825 [public university’s documents revealing purchasers of suites in

multipurpose arena being built on university’s campus were public records because the

arena was financed in part by public funds].)

In sum, the postpublication communications by a professor at a public

university regarding articles she authored on topics in her field of study at the university

involve the “public’s business.” Accordingly, the trial court did not abuse its discretion

in finding the requested records qualify as public records under the CPRA.

3. The Catchall Exemption

That brings us to whether the requested documents are otherwise exempt

from disclosure. On this issue, Iloh primarily invokes the CPRA’s catchall exemption,

which permits a public agency to withhold records if “on the facts of the particular case

the public interest served by not disclosing the record clearly outweighs the public

interest served by disclosure of the record.” (§ 7922.000.)

The catchall exemption’s balancing test is highly fact dependent and is

applied “‘on a case-by-case basis.’” (Humane Society of U.S. v. Superior Court (2013)

214 Cal.App.4th 1233, 1255 (Humane Society) [discussing former § 6255, recently

renumbered as § 7922.000].) “The burden of proof as to the application of [the]

exemption is on the proponent of nondisclosure,” who “must establish a ‘clear

overbalance’ on the side of nondisclosure.” (Ibid.)

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CSI identifies several public interests supporting disclosure: (1) public

funds are used both to pay UCI assistant professors like Iloh and also to investigate

alleged academic dishonesty, (2) academic research culminating in publication is central

to UCI’s public function and within Iloh’s job duties, and (3) the public has an interest in

understanding how UCI addresses allegations of academic dishonesty. We agree. There

is a strong public interest in knowing how a public university funded largely by taxpayer

dollars handles and resolves quality or integrity problems in its professors’ publications.

(Cf. Marken, supra, 202 Cal.App.4th at p. 1275 [“the public has legitimate interest in

knowing whether and how [a school district] enforces its sexual harassment policy”

against high school teacher].)

Iloh counters that those interests are outweighed by the public interest in

protecting academic freedom. According to Iloh, disclosure of her e-mails would stifle

her research, create an intolerable danger to the freedom of intellect and academic

expression, and discourage teachers and academics from seeking employment with public

institutions.

We believe Iloh’s concerns about academic freedom are legitimate. We

can imagine how allowing unrestricted access to a university professor’s research files

could hamper the academic process. Our colleagues in the Third District concluded that

the disclosure of prepublication communications about a university study on the effects

of a proposed voter initiative “would fundamentally impair the academic research

process” and have a “chilling effect” on academics (Humane Society, supra,

214 Cal.App.4th at p. 1263); the court therefore found that the public interests in

nondisclosure outweighed the public interests in disclosure of those prepublication

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records (id.at p. 1275).

6

The California Legislature is undoubtedly aware of these concerns.

However, unlike public records acts in various other jurisdictions, the “CPRA does not

have an express exemption for general academic research.” (Humane Society, supra,

12

But such concerns do not apply to this case. The articles at issue here were

published in 2017 and 2018, and the CPRA request only seeks correspondence from

January 2019 onward. Thus, the requested documents would not reveal Iloh’s

prepublication research, article drafts, work product, or communications.

For the catchall exemption to apply, Iloh must establish “a ‘clear

overbalance’ on the side of nondisclosure.” (Humane Society, supra, 214 Cal.App.4th at

p. 1255.) Considering the notable public interests supporting disclosure described above,

and narrowly construing the exemption as we must (Cal. Const., art. I, § 3, subd. (b)(2)),

we conclude Iloh did not meet that burden.

We are not suggesting the public has or should have carte blanch access to

a university professor’s research files, work product, or correspondence. As noted, the

application of the catchall provision is by design fact dependent. (See American Civil

Liberties Union Foundation v. Deukmejian (1982) 32 Cal.3d 440, 454, fn. 14 [because

the catchall exemption’s balance test is fact specific, a court’s decision on disclosure “is

necessarily limited to the facts of th[at] particular case”].) In some instances, the facts

may compel disclosure, while in other instances, academic research “may be protected

[from disclosure], depending on the facts of [the] case.” (Humane Society, supra,

214 Cal.App.4th at p. 1265.) We find that in this particular case, based on this record,

Iloh did not meet her burden of establishing “a ‘clear overbalance’ on the side of

nondisclosure.” (See id. at p. 1255.)

214 Cal.App.4th at pp. 1254-1255; contrast Del. Code Ann. tit. 29, § 10002(l); Ind. Code

§ 5-14-3-4(a)(6); Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 1, § 402(3-E).) Several years ago, the

Legislature considered adding to the CPRA an exemption for public postsecondary

educational institutions’ research records, but that bill died in early 2020. (Assem. Bill

No. 700 (2019-2020 Reg. Sess.); see also Humane Society, supra, 214 Cal.App.4th at

p. 1262 [clarifying that its decision did “not create an academic researcher’s exemption

immunizing disclosure of university documents in future cases”].)

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4. The Personnel Files Exemption

Iloh alternatively argues certain portions of the requested records are

exempt from disclosure under section 7927.700, which exempts “personnel, medical, or

similar files, the disclosure of which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of

personal privacy.”

This exemption was “‘“developed to protect intimate details of personal

and family life, not business judgments and relationships.”’” (Bakersfield City School

Dist. v. Superior Court (2004) 118 Cal.App.4th 1041, 1045 [discussing former § 6254,

subd. (c), renumbered as § 7927.700].) In determining whether the exemption applies,

we weigh the public’s interest in disclosure against protection of privacy interests,

determining first whether disclosure would compromise substantial (as opposed to de

minimis) privacy interests, and then deciding whether the potential harm to those privacy

interests outweighs the public interest in disclosure. (Caldecott v. Superior Court (2015)

243 Cal.App.4th 212, 220–221; see, e.g., Associated Chino Teachers v. Chino Valley

Unified School Dist. (2018) 30 Cal.App.5th 530, 539-543 [concluding two letters

regarding results of school district’s investigation of volleyball coach were exempt from

disclosure because of potential harm to coach’s privacy interests].)

Applying those standards to this case, and keeping in mind that the CPRA’s

exemptions must be narrowly construed, we conclude the trial court did not abuse its

discretion in finding the personnel files exemption inapplicable here. First, it is not clear

that the CPRA request encompasses UCI’s personnel file on Iloh; the request asks for

“correspondence,” not personnel records. Second, to the extent copies of any of the

responsive communications were placed in Iloh’s personnel file (something we cannot

determine from the record), we conclude the public interest in disclosure of those

communications outweighs any privacy concerns for the same reasons articulated above.

(See Marken, supra, 202 Cal.App.4th at pp. 1275-1276 [public’s interest in knowing

whether and how a school district enforced its sexual harassment policy against a high

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school teacher outweighed the teacher’s privacy interest in shielding the information

from disclosure, so the personnel file exemption did not apply].)

5. The Trial Court’s Order

Finally, Iloh contends the trial court abused its discretion because its minute

order denying her motion cited case law from traditional CPRA actions rather than

reverse-CPRA actions, and because the court did not discuss many cases cited in Iloh’s

motion for preliminary injunction. We cannot agree.

Iloh is correct that an abuse of discretion occurs if a trial court applies the

wrong legal standard. (Riskin v. Downtown Los Angeles Property Owners Assn. (2022)

76 Cal.App.5th 438, 446.) Here, however, the court’s minute order denying Iloh’s

motion recited the correct test for granting or denying a preliminary injunction, and then

applied the correct test for evaluating CPRA requests. And in any event, we consider

only the trial court’s ruling, not its reasoning; we affirm a challenged order if it is correct

on any theory. (Young v. California Fish & Game Com. (2018) 24 Cal.App.5th 1178,

1192-1193; Muller v. Fresno Community Hospital & Medical Center (2009)

172 Cal.App.4th 887, 906-907.)

The relevant question, therefore, is not whether the court cited the correct

legal authorities in its minute order, but whether the court’s denial of the motion for

preliminary injunction was an abuse of discretion. For the reasons explained above, we

find it was not.

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DISPOSITION

The order denying Iloh’s motion for preliminary injunction is affirmed.

CSI shall recover its costs on appeal.

GOETHALS, ACTING P. J.

WE CONCUR:

SANCHEZ, J.

MOTOIKE, J.

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This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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