Core Cases & Investigations – Transparency and Accountability

On February 13, 2026, Dr. Bradley Foerster submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the University of Michigan seeking a copy of a University of Michigan Police Department (UMPD/DPSS) report (#1990302701) referenced in a May 30, 2019 email from Maureen Muysenberg, Michigan Medicine Security, to AAPD Detective Spickard.

On February 23, 2026, the University denied the FOIA request, citing exemptions under Section 13(1)(a) and Section 13(1)(b) of the Michigan FOIA. The University claimed that disclosure would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy and that the report qualified as a law enforcement investigative record exempt from release. No records were produced.

On February 24, 2026, Dr. Foerster filed a formal appeal, challenging the University’s application of these exemptions. He cited controlling legal authority establishing that the public body bears the burden of proof in applying FOIA exemptions and that such exemptions must be narrowly construed in favor of disclosure: MLive Media Group v City of Grand Rapids, 321 Mich App 263 (2017); Swickard v Wayne County Medical Examiner, 438 Mich 536 (1991).

Dr. Foerster further documented that the existence of the UMPD report was identified through a separate FOIA request to the Ann Arbor Police Department (AAPD), which produced email correspondence showing that a May 2019 letter he sent to Dr. Eva Feldman (hand delivered to her home) was forwarded by Michigan Medicine Security to Detective Spickard.

Previously, Detective Spickard has been brought by the University of Michigan as one of four witnesses in November 2018 internal proceedings involving Dr. Bradley Foerster, where he testified regarding an investigation he conducted into the alleged removal of two stray orange cats involving Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou and stated that such matters could be considered criminal in nature.

Despite submitting multiple prior FOIA requests for any UMPD complaints involving himself and Dr. Myria Petrou, this report had not been disclosed, indicating that it had been withheld from prior requests.

He further noted that available records indicate the complaint was initiated by Dr. Eva Feldman, as reflected in the email correspondence obtained through the AAPD FOIA, and argued that the University’s reliance on a privacy-based exemption is inapplicable under these circumstances. He also emphasized that referral of the matter to AAPD indicates the presence of potential criminal allegations, raising concerns regarding the basis and good faith of the complaint.

On March 9, 2026, the University President’s Office, through Chief of Staff Steve Yaros, denied the appeal, upholding the original determination without additional explanation and referring back to the February 23, 2026 denial. T

Significance: This FOIA request and appeal highlight the University of Michigan’s reliance on privacy and law enforcement exemptions to withhold a previously undisclosed UMPD report identified through external FOIA records, raising questions regarding selective disclosure, repeated non-production of responsive records, and institutional transparency.

University of Michigan denies FOIA request for UMPD incident report, citing privacy and law enforcement exemptions.