UNC settles open-meetings complaint tied to athletics budget

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill must pay $25,000 and its trustees must affirm a commitment to follow the state's open-meeting laws as part of a settlement that dismissed a lawsuit over the board's handling of athletics discussions.

David McKenzie, a lawyer in Wake County, had filed a complaint in May in Orange County Superior Court accusing trustees of violating open-meetings laws in previous private-session discussions tied to athletics budgets. It came as UNC trustees weighed in on athletics to highlight growing national tensions with schools jumping from league to league seeking more money tied to TV deals in a football-driven market.

McKenzie told WRAL of Raleigh that he was "satisfied" by the settlement, which had him agree to dismiss the lawsuit and the university would pay $25,000 to cover McKenzie's expenses and legal costs.

"If they're gonna take the public's money, they've got to do things in public," McKenzie told The News & Observer of Raleigh . "And then those times that they don't, they may be on the hook for attorneys' fees."

McKenzie's original complaint came as trustees indicated they would discuss the UNC athletics budget in closed session at a coming meeting, as well as referencing private-session discussions on athletics matters in November. That came amid comments questioning the financial picture under the leadership of athletics director Bubba Cunningham, although UNC's interim chancellor Lee Roberts publicly backed Cunningham in a public pushback against the trustees.

A judge granted multiple temporary restraining issues against UNC's trustees going into closed session for athletics financial discussions that could include future conference alignment.