Cell phone records at issue at OSU

STILLWATER, Okla. - Nearly 500 Oklahoma State University employees receive extra compensation to cover the cost of private cell phones that can be used for university business without generating records accessible to the public, according to a published report.

The university says that since these telephones are considered private, the public has no right to examine text messages, e-mails and numbers dialed on these devices, The Daily O'Collegian reported Thursday.

OSU President Burns Hargis uses a private Blackberry, so these records aren't accessible either.

Some advocates for government openness say records of public business should be open, regardless of whether the device that created the record is privately owned.

The university said the extra compensation is intended to allow employees the convenience of having just a single cell phone, rather than one for private use and one for university business.

OSU legal officials say that because employees retain ownership of their phones, records produced on the phones should not be available to the public.

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