Core Cases & Investigations – Transparency and Accountability

On January 13, 2026, Dr. Myria Petrou submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the University of Michigan (UM) seeking all communications between Dr. Ella Kazerooni and HHS-OIG Agent Tyson Howard referencing Dr. Petrou, her husband Dr. Bradley Foerster, their children, and other relevant individuals, including Dr. Paul Cronin and Dr. Aine Kelly. Importantly, Dr. Kazerooni supervised Drs. Cronin and Kelly from their hire in the early 2000s, and this FOIA request aimed to identify communications reflecting her oversight of their activities as well as interactions involving other parties of interest. The request covered the period from January 1, 2015, to the present.

On February 2, 2026, UM denied the FOIA request, citing the “frank communication” exemption under Section 13(1)(m) of the Michigan FOIA, asserting that the public interest in encouraging candid internal communication outweighed disclosure. The University provided no further description of the withheld records.

On February 4, 2026, Dr. Petrou filed a formal appeal, challenging the exemption. She cited established legal precedent requiring the University to demonstrate that the public interest in non-disclosure clearly outweighs the public’s right to access records: Bukowski v City of Detroit, 478 Mich 268 (2007); Hear!d Co, Inc v Eastern Michigan University Board of Regents, 265 Mich App 185 (2005). Dr. Petrou highlighted multiple anomalies, including communications involving her, her husband, and individuals under Kazerooni’s supervision (Cronin and Kelly):

A fraudulent 2017 HHS-OIG medical billing complaint under her name, listing her husband as a witness, which implicated Dr. Kazerooni;
Evidence that only Dr. Aine Kelly (Kazerooni’s direct supervisee at the time) could have submitted the complaint;
The complaint did not investigate billing or Dr. Kazerooni, but instead became tied to a NIH ALS R01 grant under which a University sexual harassment case involving Duaa Altaee was mishandled;
Other obfuscations involving “Nick,” false criminal allegations, and institutional concealment of relevant investigations.

Despite these points, on February 17, 2026, the University President’s Office, led by Chief of Staff Steve Yaros, denied Dr. Petrou’s appeal, referencing the original denial and noting her right to seek judicial review within 180 days, including attorney fees, costs, and potential punitive damages if the court finds the University acted arbitrarily.

Significance: This FOIA appeal highlights ongoing efforts by Dr. Petrou to obtain transparency regarding internal University communications and the use of exemptions to withhold records involving serious institutional and grant-related issues.

University of Michigan denies Dr. Myria Petrou’s request for communications between Dr. Ella Kazerooni and HHS-OIG