Huntington Beach to appeal loss in school trustee’s public records lawsuit

The Huntington Beach City Council announced Monday night that it is appealing its loss in a lawsuit by a local school board member over public records requests.

Ocean View School District trustee John Briscoe’s complaint, filed in Orange County Superior Court in January, sought a variety of public records, particularly the job applications of employees working in trash disposal. The city had denied him the documents.

On Nov. 15, a judge sided with Briscoe, arguing that the records should be made public, particularly because he didn’t seek any overtly personal information such as home addresses or phone numbers and only wanted information related to employment qualifications, such as work history or certifications.

Huntington Beach’s attorneys argued that job applications are private and could contain sensitive information such as medical histories. They also contended that information on job applications might not be accurate and that disclosing it for public review could have a “chilling effect” on future applicants or employees seeking promotions or new roles.

Briscoe said last month that he intends to ask the court for $85,000 toward his own attorney fees in the case, plus $160,000 he believes the city has spent on the matter.

During Monday’s council meeting, City Attorney Michael Gates said the city has not spent any money defending itself against Briscoe’s complaint.

A court hearing about the fees was originally scheduled for Dec. 20 but is now set for Jan. 17 at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.

bradley.zint@latimes.com

Twitter: @BradleyZint