Minnesota appeals court blocks ruling on public access in UMinn presidential search

ST. PAUL (AP) -- The Minnesota Court of Appeals blocked a judge's order Thursday that required the University of Minnesota to release the names of the finalists for the university president's job.

Several media organizations sued in November when the regents declined to identify finalists to succeed President Mark Yudof. Board Chairwoman Maureen Reed said at the time that several of the candidates didn't want to be interviewed unless their identities were protected.

Last week, Hennepin District Judge Pamela Alexander ruled that regents broke the Open Meeting Law and the Data Practices Act, and she gave the school five days to release the names and some relevant data on any applicants that regents chose to interview before they settled on Robert Bruininks, then the interim president.

The university appealed the case.

The Court of Appeals questioned whether it has jurisdiction to hear the appeal and gave the two sides until March 26 to submit papers on the issue. Release of the finalists' names was barred pending the court's orders.