Inmate Wins Access to His Children’s Report Cards

(CN) - An Ohio prisoner is entitled to see the school records of his four children, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled.

Frank Brown Jr., who is serving a 15-year sentence in the Ohio prison system, requested the transcripts of his children from Cynthia Lemmerman, the superintendent of Fostoria Community Schools.

Lemmerman declined on the basis that Brown was not listed as the father on some of the records. After he made a follow-up request, the school district and the prison system asked him to stop asking for the records.

Brown sought an order compelling the school to show him his children's report cards. Despite the inconsistencies in the documents, Brown presented evidence that he is, in fact, the father of the four children.

"Accordingly, we hold that Brown has established a clear legal right to the requested records and the superintendent has a clear legal duty to give copies of the request records to Brown," the justices wrote.

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