TOPEKA—(Aug. 28, 2025) – Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach today announced that the city of Haysville agreed that it violated the Kansas Open Records Act, or KORA.

Under the terms of a consent order, the city will pay $250 in civil penalties, attend additional KORA training and comply with the KORA.

“Unfortunately, an individual requested an open record and was unknowingly deprived of these city records until it was too late to matter. Therefore, a civil penalty was an appropriate remedy to remind the city of its obligations under the KORA,” said Amber Smith, Deputy General for the Public Protection Division. “This is an appropriate resolution given the circumstances. While there is no evidence that the city intentionally violated the KORA, it is necessary to recognize that their actions in responding to an open records request fell short of its legal obligations. It is our responsibility to ensure that public bodies comply with state law that public records be available for inspection by any person.”

After an investigation, the Kansas Attorney General’s Office determined that the city violated the KORA by failing to produce copies of photographs requested by a citizen without providing any explanation as to why those records were not produced. Several weeks later when the photos were presented in a jury trial, the citizen realized that he did not receive all of the requested records.

 

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