news-record.com

GREENSBORO - Mayor Yvonne Johnson asked the city legal department to re-examine a decision to withhold the names of police officers on administrative leave pending disciplinary action.

City staff recently changed the way it reports information to the public about employees. Based on a decision from a Durham court, the city will no longer release the status of employees on paid leave.

The new policy means the public does not know the current status of three officers who were out on paid leave pending an investigation into a sexual assault complaint filed in December. No criminal charges will be filed in the case.

Greensboro city officials cite a case in Durham, where a television station sued for the names of several police officers put on administrative leave during a sexual misconduct probe.

The judge ruled paid administrative leave was not a "change in position classification," which is public information under North Carolina law.

City Attorney Terry Wood told the mayor Monday night that the city isn't bound by the decision in the case because Greensboro is not a part of the lawsuit.

But he said the case is very similar to the issue in Greensboro.

"It is right on point. There is no conflict," Wood said. "There is no question as to whether it applies to what we have here."

But the change in the way information about city employees is released did not please some city council members. Earlier this year, the council voted to release as much information as possible about the case of the three officers.

"We should define it another way so that the public can get the information," said Councilman Mike Barber.

Johnson asked Wood to come back to the council with some options about releasing the information.