Six-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick was recently sued by Nantucket painter Andrew Jackson, who claims he suffered a severe ankle injury in June 2024 while painting Belichick’s home. Jackson is seeking nearly $300,000 in damages.

Days after this, Belichick’s current employer, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), now faces their own legal battle.

UNC is being taken to court by WRAL and local media, as the university failed to make the review into its new School of Civic Life and Leadership (SCiLL) public. The report is 400 pages long and estimated at $1.2 million.  

Local media outlets are arguing that the report is public record and should be available under the state’s public records. 

The plaintiffs of the case are WRAL, The Daily Tar Heel, The News & Observer, The Assembly, N.C., and Carolina Public Press. The defendants are the university, UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts, and Vice Chancellor and General Counsel Paul Newton. 

SCiLL was approved back in the year 2023. The purpose of the school was “the freedom of expression and ideas and exchange of ideas,” Dave Boliek, the board chairman at that time, told Fox News. 

As per the lawsuit, “The process by which it (SCiLL) was established, and many of the actions taken by its appointed leader, Dean Jed Atkins, have violated UNC academic policies, traditions, and procedures related to curriculum, hiring faculty tenure and status, faculty governance, and funding.” 

In this academic year alone, the SCiLL has taught nearly 1000 students and has added more than 20 faculty members. This is not a good look for an institution like UNC . But the question remains. Why are they refusing to release the report?

Why is UNC Refusing to Release the Report?

UNC commissioned a seven-month, $1.2 million independent review of its School of Civic Life and Leadership (SCiLL) by the law firm K&L Gates. The resulting 400-page report examined allegations about hiring, governance, and operations. UNC has refused to release it, citing multiple legal protections.

In a March 6, 2026, statement published on WRAL News, General Counsel Paul Newton said: 

“Among the issues under review were a series of allegations that implicate sensitive and confidential personnel information that is protected by state law and University policy," Newton said. "In accordance with applicable law and policy, the University does not plan to offer any further public statements about the details of the Review,” Newton concluded.

UNC’s chief governance officer, David Lambeth III, added that the report “constitutes trial preparation materials,” which are exempt from public records laws. Additional reasons include attorney-client and attorney work-product privileges, plus protecting interviewees from “potential harm or embarrassment.”

The lawsuit has not gone to trial as it is in the very early stages. Usually, public records lawsuits like this are resolved through motions, possible in-camera review of the document by the judge, and settlement or a court order rather than a full trial. 

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Written by

Samvruth Raj

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi