Greensboro, NC -- We all want to know what's going on when it comes to our safety.
You live near a school or have a child who goes to a private university, there's an assault on campus, and federal law requires the school to make that public record but if that institution is private? They only have to tell you it happened.
They don't have to release the details.
In fact, Elon University recently had to defend that right in court against a former student.
In the lawsuit, a student said the university refused to release the full report on a campus arrest despite the campus records law.
Elon University lawyers successfully argued that state law doesn't require them to provide police reports because the "Campus Police Act" does not mention investigations and police reports.
The courts ruled that the school didn't have to release the information because they are not required to comply with the state's public records law.
Even though the officers involved are state-certified, they still work for a private institution, so those records can be withheld.
When it comes to public universities, UNCG, Winston-Salem State and North Carolina A&T; everything from emails, calendars, sound and video recordings are considered public, and you can ask for it. You'll just have to pay the fee it costs them to make a copy for you.
Wake Forest and High Point University are private, which means they have the power to withhold details of crimes on campus.
Elon on the other hand, by choice, will give you the first page of a crime report, just not the whole thing.
This means unless state or federal law changes, this is just the way things will remain.
WFMY News 2