Conservative group sues UNC-Chapel Hill over access to course materials

A conservative group is suing UNC-Chapel Hill, accusing the university of violating state public records law by failing to provide reading lists and other instructional materials for 29 courses.

Defending Education filed the lawsuit this week in Orange County Superior Court. The group says the university failed to properly respond to two public records requests, submitted in October, seeking materials used in courses during the fall 2026 semester.

The courses span several departments, including African American studies, history, political science, sociology and women’s and gender studies. They include “Defining Blackness,” “Black Feminism,” “Feminism and Political Theory,” “Critical Food Studies,” and “Slavery and the University.”

Defending Education’s complaint does not explain why the group selected these 29 courses. NC Newsline has reached out to the group for an explanation.

The first request, submitted Oct. 16, sought materials for 19 courses. The second, submitted Oct. 23, sought materials for 10 additional courses.

UNC-Chapel Hill closed both requests without providing additional documents, according to the lawsuit. Instead, the university directed the organization to Simple Syllabus, an online platform where faculty members post course syllabi.

Defending Education argues that the platform does not include all the materials used in courses. The requests also sought reading assignments,  course plans, materials shared with students through email and documents posted on Canvas, the university’s learning management system.

The complaint says UNC’s policy requires faculty members to use Simple Syllabus, but limits the information they must include. For example, faculty members are directed to list course materials students are required to purchase, while other instructional materials can be shared through other means, including Canvas and email.

The organization says that the university failed to conduct a reasonable search for the requested records, including materials maintained by instructors and documents stored on university systems.

UNC system faculty condemn proposed policy disclosing course materials to public

UNC-Chapel Hill did not immediately respond to NC Newsline’s request for comment. 

Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president and senior legal fellow at Defending Education, said the university’s alleged refusal to provide the materials prevents taxpayers from understanding what public universities are teaching. 

“The University of North Carolina’s sleight-of-hand over production of its course materials is no excuse for shirking its obligations under the North Carolina Public Records Act.” Perry said in a statement. “Taxpayers in the state have every right to know what their money is funding at North Carolina’s institutions of higher education, and we look forward to the university finally complying with its statutory obligations.”

Defending Education is a national conservative education advocacy group founded in 2021. It says it works to promote transparency, free speech and parental rights in K-12 and higher education. 

This is the latest chapter in a broader effort by conservative groups to scrutinize teaching at universities in the state and across the country. Last year, The Oversight Project, a conservative group affiliated with the Heritage Foundation, requested course materials from 74 UNC-CH classes, seeking content related to diversity, race, gender. 

The university denied the request, citing faculty intellectual property rights.