On Wednesday, former executive assistant Paige Shiver filed a lawsuit against the University of Michigan in Washtenaw County, claiming that the institution wrongly denied public records requests tied to the investigation into Sherrone Moore's firing.

According to The Associated Press, her attorneys said they sought records from February through June. But the university allegedly denied every request. School spokesperson Paul Corliss declined to comment.

“It was important for our client to file this initial FOIA lawsuit to ensure the truth and facts come out,” attorney Andrew M. Stroth said.

According to a July 9 report by the Associated Press, the Court filings stated that Shiver seeks the university's release of the requested records, payment of legal costs, and punitive damages.

Stroth and his legal team believe the records will help explain what happened during the initial investigation and how university leaders handled the matter.

The lawsuit follows Moore's December 2025 job loss after a university investigation into his conduct revealed that the coach had had an inappropriate relationship with Shiver.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Moore was accused of confronting Shiver and blaming her for his termination. He later pleaded no contest to reduced charges of trespassing and improper use of a phone or other communication device.

A judge placed him on probation for 18 months in April. As the legal fight over public records moves forward, attention now turns to the university's broader investigation and what its findings could mean for Michigan.

Legal battle keeps attention on Michigan's investigation

The lawsuit reaches beyond the requested records because it keeps the university's outside investigation in focus. After Moore was fired, Michigan hired the Jenner & Block law firm to look into the athletic department's work environment.

"The University of Michigan makes significant investments in athletics, which is a source of pride for our U-M community, and this investigation is being resourced to help strengthen our athletics program moving forward," Michigan's assistant vice president for Public Affairs and Internal Communications, Paul Corliss, said in a statement, according to the Detroit News.

Records obtained through previous Freedom of Information Act requests showed the university had spent more than $11 million on the investigation by May. However, the university had not released a final report, even though the review ended in April.

Shiver's lawsuit argues that the university should make some records from the review public. The university has said that Michigan law protects some requested records, while others do not exist.

The court will now decide whether the university must release the documents. Will the legal process reveal more about how Michigan handled one of the biggest controversies in recent program history?

Read more at the Michigan Football Community.

Written by

Shreya Mishra

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit