A Bluefield man, who is suing West Virginia University for denying his Freedom of Information Request Act for documents explaining why he was not admitted to the law school, was forcibly removed from a Board of Governor’s meeting Wednesday morning for violating a July 8 no trespass order.
The order was issued by University Police against Jay Folse, 25, prohibiting him from being on university grounds. The order was issued after Folse allegedly threatened and harassed several university officials and representatives prior to Wednesday’s incident. Additionally, he previously refused to leave an executive session portion of a BOG meeting at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in Beckley in June.
Before the start of the BOG meeting, the university offered to provide Folse a telephone number to call in to the session, but he declined. Folse was sitting in the audience before Wednesday’s meeting began. He ignored several verbal requests from university officials to leave.
“I have every right to go to a public meeting,” Folse said afterward.
A June 26 email sent to Folse from WVU’s FOIA officer said, “a final response and any nonexempt documents responsive to these requests will be available for you to inspect and review on or about … July 31, 2019. The documents will be made available to you on the campus of West Virginia University (the time and room location will be determined at a later date). … Alternatively, if possible, responsive documents will be provided electronically.”
The trespass notice supercedes the FOIA. Folse was led away in handcuffs, arraigned before Magistrate James Nabors and released on a $5,000 bond. Folse is charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct and obstructing an officer. He is awaiting arraignment, university officials said.
Folse filed a lawsuit against WVU in April because his FOIA request was denied. He claimed the school refused to release his own admissions records used in his law school evaluation. Folse said he plans to file a writ of prohibition to get the charges dropped. He may also file an injunction to get the trespass order lifted so he can attend public meetings on WVU property.
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