HELENA, Mont. (AP) - The Montana Corrections Department told a judge Thursday that releasing documents surrounding the investigation into sexual misconduct involving prison employees would violate the employees' privacy rights.
The case stems from last year's resignation of four female Montana State Prison employees and the departure of one male employee after an investigation into allegations of employee sexual misconduct with a male inmate.
The Associated Press asked for a copy of the investigation documents last November - prompting the state to sue the news agency.
The AP told District Judge Kathy Seeley that the constitutional right-to-know trumps privacy concerns in the case. Lawyer Kim Wilson argued that people in places of public trust, like police officers and prison guards, have a diminished expectation of privacy in such cases.
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