Legal Question in Education Law in Washington

City and School

Hello,

I'm a student at Central Washington University with a question of concern. I recently got a fine for a noise violation at my house here in Ellensburg, which is off campus and shouldn't be affiliated in any way with the school. However, the school knows of this infraction somehow and wants to hold a meeting with me, in which i feel they are going to reprimand me. I already have to pay a fine which is at the maximum cost, for a violation in which the police officer himself said we weren't being too wild and loud, we just needed to keep it quieter (within a 50 foot range). My question is, Regarding the city, are they allowed to release this kind of information to the school without my consent? I have not filled out any sort of release form indicating that this kind of information is to be shared. They've created a hassle for me, because now I have to be punished by two organizations rather than one, for a trivial misdemeanor. Is this fair by law?


Asked on 10/07/07, 12:20 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Theresa Petrey The Law Office of Theresa Petrey

Re: City and School

So you made the Blotter? This means that you are now a person of some status here in town! Sooner or later we're all in there.

Police reports are a matter of public record. Here in Ellensburg they are the subject song, art and film. The city has a noise ordinance which you must follow no matter who you are. If you are renting, your landlord is also potentially liable.

You received a fine? This is a "trivial" misdemeanor-surely you jest or at least overly minimize. This does not pass the straight face test. The police in this town come out a lot on noise calls and don't issue fines for just anything. I know, I lived on the North End for three and a half years in a largely student complex.

So suck it up, pay your fine, meet with the school, be respectful of your neighbors and the law, and get down to work getting your education.

You can get a copy of the noise ordinance from the City of Ellensburg. I highly commend it to you as an important heads up and opportunity to start shouldering adult responsibility. BTW, if you wind up overnight in the jail, that gets published on the web. Every CWU police call is also on the web.

In addition to the noise issues, there are also safety issues with this type of partying which have included rapes, assaults, accidents involving alcohol and at least one incident involving a fire with a fatality that may have been associated with a "party." We always think that it will never happen to us or at our party, but it's happened to others who thought the same thing. If you cannot control the noise level at your party, it's probably unlikely that you will have control over anything else.

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Answered on 10/08/07, 10:53 am


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