References
Every legal authority, statute, regulation, and secondary source cited on this site, with links to the full text and a list of pages where each reference appears.
How to read legal citations: Case citations follow the format Case Name, volume / reporter / page (year). Statute citations use the format Title § Section. “O.C.G.A.” = Official Code of Georgia Annotated. “U.S.C.” = United States Code. “C.F.R.” = Code of Federal Regulations. “Ga.” = Georgia Supreme Court reporter. “Ga. App.” = Georgia Court of Appeals reporter. “F. Supp.” = Federal Supplement (federal trial court decisions). “U.S.” = United States Reports (U.S. Supreme Court).
Federal Statutes (United States Code)
| Citation | Description | Link | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 U.S.C. § 1232g | Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) | Cornell LII | Legal Background, Case Report, Complaint, Answer, MSJ, Discovery Extension Motion |
| 20 U.S.C. § 1232g(a)(4)(A) | FERPA definition of “education records” | Cornell LII | Case Report, MSJ |
| 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq. | Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) | Cornell LII | Legal Background, Answer, Glossary |
Federal Regulations (Code of Federal Regulations)
| Citation | Description | Link | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34 C.F.R. § 99.3 | FERPA definition of “personally identifiable information” (PII) | eCFR | Legal Background, Case Report, Glossary, Complaint, Answer, Amended Answer, MSJ, Rule Nisi Response, Discovery Extension Motion |
| 34 C.F.R. § 99.31(b)(1) | FERPA conditions for release of de-identified records | eCFR | Legal Background, Case Report, MSJ, Glossary |
| 34 C.F.R. § 300.32 | IDEA definition of PII for special-education records | eCFR | Legal Background, Rule Nisi Response |
| 34 C.F.R. § 300.617 | IDEA confidentiality procedures | eCFR | Rule Nisi Response |
| 34 C.F.R. Part 300 | IDEA regulations (general) | eCFR | Answer |
Georgia Statutes (O.C.G.A.)
Open Records Act & Open Meetings Act
| Citation | Description | Link | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq. | Georgia Open Records Act (full article) | Justia | Home, Legal Background, Case Report, Complaint, Answer, Rule Nisi Motion, Rule Nisi Response |
| O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71 | ORA definitions and scope | Justia | Case Report |
| O.C.G.A. § 50-18-73 | ORA enforcement proceedings | Justia | Legal Background, Rule Nisi Reply |
| O.C.G.A. § 50-18-73(b) | ORA attorney-fee-shifting provision | Justia | Legal Background, Case Report, Complaint, Answer, Rule Nisi Motion |
| O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1 et seq. | Georgia Open Meetings Act | Justia | Legal Background, Case Report |
Civil Practice Act
| Citation | Description | Link | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| O.C.G.A. § 9-11-7.1 | Pleading redaction compliance | Justia | Case Report, Complaint |
| O.C.G.A. § 9-11-8(c) | Affirmative defenses | Justia | Answer |
| O.C.G.A. § 9-11-12(a) | Defenses and objections; time for answer | Justia | Summons, Service Stipulation |
| O.C.G.A. § 9-11-15 | Right to amend pleadings | Justia | Amended Answer |
| O.C.G.A. § 9-11-19(a) | Joinder of indispensable parties | Justia | Case Report, Amended Answer |
| O.C.G.A. § 9-11-40(a) | Trial calendar; assignment of cases | Justia | Rule Nisi Response |
| O.C.G.A. § 9-11-56(f) | Summary judgment — discovery not complete | Justia | Case Report, Discovery Extension Motion, Discovery Extension Order |
Evidence Code
| Citation | Description | Link | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| O.C.G.A. § 24-5-508 | Reporter’s shield / privilege | Justia | Legal Background, Case Report, Rule Nisi Reply, Discovery Extension Motion, Glossary |
Case Law — U.S. Supreme Court
| Case | Citation | Link | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owasso ISD v. Falvo | 534 U.S. 426 (2002) | Justia | Legal Background, Case Report |
| Gonzaga University v. Doe | 536 U.S. 273 (2002) | Justia | Case Report |
| The Florida Star v. B.J.F. | 491 U.S. 524 (1989) | Justia | Case Report, MSJ |
Case Law — Federal Courts
| Case | Citation | Link | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mullins v. City of Griffin | 886 F. Supp. 21 (N.D. Ga. 1995) | Justia | Legal Background, Case Report, Complaint, Rule Nisi Motion, Timeline |
| U.S. v. Miami University | 294 F.3d 797 (6th Cir. 2002) | Justia | Case Report |
| Bauer v. Kincaid | 759 F. Supp. 575 (W.D. Mo. 1991) | Justia | MSJ |
| Ellis v. Cleveland Municipal School District | 309 F. Supp. 2d 1019 (N.D. Ohio 2004) | Justia | MSJ |
| Wallace v. Cranbrook Educational Community | 2006 WL 2796135 (E.D. Mich. Sept. 27, 2006) (unpublished) | GovInfo | MSJ |
| Dahmer v. Western Kentucky University | No. 1:18-cv-00124, 2019 WL 1779515 (W.D. Ky. Apr. 22, 2019) | Justia | Case Report, MSJ |
| Cause of Action Institute v. NOAA | No. 1:19-cv-01927, 2023 WL 3645608 (D.D.C. May 24, 2023) | Justia | MSJ |
Case Law — Georgia Supreme Court
| Case | Citation | Link | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red & Black Publ’g Co. v. Board of Regents | 262 Ga. 848 (1993) | Justia | Home, Legal Background, Case Report, Glossary, MSJ, Rule Nisi Motion |
| Board of Regents v. Atlanta Journal | 259 Ga. 214 (1989) | Justia | Case Report |
| Atchison v. Hospital Authority of St. Marys | 245 Ga. 494 (1980) | Justia | Case Report, Rule Nisi Reply |
Case Law — Georgia Court of Appeals
| Case | Citation | Link | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wallace v. Greene County | 274 Ga. App. 776 (2005) | Justia | Case Report |
| Smith v. Northside Hospital, Inc. | 347 Ga. App. 700 (2018) | Google Scholar | Case Report, Rule Nisi Reply |
| Appen Media Grp. v. City of Sandy Springs | 374 Ga. App. 841 (2025) | Justia | Case Report, Rule Nisi Motion |
| Atlanta Journal-Constitution v. Jewell | 251 Ga. App. 808 | Google Scholar | Case Report, Rule Nisi Reply |
Case Law — Other State Courts
| Case | Citation | Link | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herald Publishing Co. v. Coopersville Area Public Schools | Mich. Cir. Ct. 2010 | — (trial court; unpublished; attached as Exhibit A to MSJ) | Case Report, MSJ, Rule Nisi Motion |
| Heller v. Safford Unified School District | Ariz. Super. Ct. 2011 | — (trial court; unpublished; attached as Exhibit B to MSJ) | Case Report, MSJ, Rule Nisi Motion |
| K.L. v. Evesham Township Board of Education | 423 N.J. Super. 337 | Google Scholar | Case Report, MSJ |
| Colonial Educ. Ass’n v. Bd. of Educ. of Colonial Sch. Dist. | 685 A.2d 361 (Del. 1996) | Justia | MSJ |
| Poway Unified School District v. Superior Court | Cal. Ct. App. 2007 | Google Scholar | MSJ |
| Atlanta Community Press Collective v. Atlanta Police Foundation | Fulton County 2025 | — (trial court; see Georgia Recorder coverage) | Case Report |
Georgia Court Rules
All USCR rules below are sections of a single PDF; the Link column points to the same 2025 edition on georgiacourts.gov.
| Rule | Description | Link | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| USCR 4.3(3) | Substitution of counsel | USCR 2025 (PDF) | Substitution |
| USCR 5.1 | Standard discovery period | USCR 2025 (PDF) | Rule Nisi Response, Discovery Extension Motion |
| USCR 5.2 | Certificate of Service (discovery not filed) | USCR 2025 (PDF) | Case Report, MSJ |
| USCR 6.4 | Meet-and-confer requirement | USCR 2025 (PDF) | Case Report, Discovery Extension Motion |
| USCR 16.1 | Leave of absence | USCR 2025 (PDF) | Leave of Absence |
Pre-Litigation Primary Sources
Documents in the Open Records / AG mediation / state-agency track that preceded the Melody v. BCSD complaint. Each links to a dedicated site page with the PDF and plain-English context. See the Background page for the narrative.
| Document | Date | Author | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| AG Letter A — Opening | 2024-10-25 | Senior Asst AG Kristen Settlemire | Page · PDF |
| BCSD Response to Alex II Teacher ORR | 2025-03-05 | Sherry H. Culves (Parker Poe) | Page · PDF |
| Hatcher JH Settlement ORR | 2025-03-11 | Kerry Hatcher | Page · PDF |
| BCSD Denial Letter to Hatcher | 2025-03-14 | Sherry H. Culves (Parker Poe) | Page · PDF |
| Parker Poe Response — LEO Calls for Service | 2025-03-20 | Sherry H. Culves (Parker Poe) | Page · PDF |
| Parker Poe Response — 1st Grade Disruptions | 2025-03-20 | Sherry H. Culves (Parker Poe) | Page · PDF |
| GA DOE Response Letter | 2025-04-14 | Stacey Suber-Drake (GA DOE) | Page · PDF |
| AG Letter B — Close-Out | 2025-04-24 | Senior Asst AG Kristen Settlemire | Page · PDF |
Secondary Sources & Government Resources
| Source | Link | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia AG — Open Records Act Guide (PDF) | law.georgia.gov | Legal Background, Case Report |
| Georgia AG — Open Government Mediation Program | law.georgia.gov | Case Report |
| Georgia AG — Guide to Access of School Records (PDF) | law.georgia.gov | Case Report |
| GFAF — “Green Book”: Georgia Public Schools and the ORA | gfaf.org | Legal Background, Case Report |
| GFAF — Judges should protect Open Records rights (June 2025) | gfaf.org | Case Report |
| RCFP — Open Government Guide: Georgia | rcfp.org | Legal Background, Case Report |
| SPLC — Commonly Requested FERPA Records | splc.org | Case Report |
| ABA Communications Lawyer — “Removing FERPA’s ‘Invisibility Cloak’” (2022) | americanbar.org | Case Report |
| US DoE — PII for Education Records | studentprivacy.ed.gov | Case Report |
| US DoE — FERPA Overview | studentprivacy.ed.gov | Legal Background, Case Report |
| Bibb County School District — Open Records Requests | bcsdk12.net | Case Report |
Press Coverage
| Source | Link | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| Kerry Hatcher — Still Waiting: A Transparency Update | kerryhatcher.com | Case Report |
| Kerry Hatcher — Delayed, But Determined | kerryhatcher.com | Case Report |
| Kerry Hatcher — The Road Ahead | kerryhatcher.com | Case Report |
| Kerry Hatcher — A Successful Beginning, Not an End | kerryhatcher.com | Timeline |
| Macon Melody — “Melody files suit to obtain dollar amount in undisclosed school board settlement” (Laura Corley, Aug. 12, 2025) | maconmelody.com | Case Report, Timeline |
| The Macon Melody (homepage) | maconmelody.com | Case Report |
| Georgia Recorder — Fulton DA ordered to pay $54,000 for ORA violation | georgiarecorder.com | Case Report |