Maria St. Catherine McConnell v. Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (SPR 20160652)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division Shawn A. Williams Supervisor ofR ecords August 31, 2016 SPR16/652 Ms. Geraldine Fasnacht, Esq. Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination Enforcement Unit One Ashb urton Place, Room 601 Boston, MA 02108 Dear Attorney Fasnacht: I have received the petition of Maria St. Catherine McConnell appealing the nonresponse of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) to her request for public records. G. L. c. 66 § 1O (b ); see also 950 C.M.R. 32.08(2). Specifically, Ms. St. Catherine McConnell requested records related to a particular committee. Having received no response, Ms. St. Catherine McConnell petitioned this office. Under the Public Records Law and the Access Regulations (Regulations) all requests for public records must be met with a response within ten (10) days of the request. G. L. c. 66, § lO(b); 950 C.M.R. 32.05. The ten-day provision is a maximum, rather than a minimum, time frame for complying with a public records request. The response may be an offer to provide records, a fee estimate for provision of the records, or a denial. MCAD is advised that all records custodians must comply with both the Public Records Law and the Regulations with respect to the timeliness of response. On August 25, 2016, after the intervention of an attorney on my staff by telephone and email, H. Harrison, Assistant to the Commissioners at MCAD provided Ms. St. Catherine McConnell with the responsive information. Whereas this matter was opened based upon the MCAD's failure to provide a written response, I will now consider this administrative appeal closed. Vertr~ C"l'llalwn A. Williams Supervisor of Records cc: Maria St. Catherine McConnell (via email) OneAshburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, Massachusetts 02108 · (617) 727-2832 ·Fax (617) 727-5914 www.sec.state.ma. us/ pre