Request for emails, UCSF

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the California Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

All email communications from jolson@chla.usc.edu to UCSF or from UCSF to jolson@chla.usc.edu from the time period of July of 2016 thru March 6, 2024.

jolson@chla.usc.edu is the email of the NIH funded researcher Johanna Olson.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 calendar days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Michael Laidlaw

Hi Catherine,

This public records request was submitted to Brenda Gee at brenda.gee@ucsf.edu on March 6, 2024. We have since followed up and have not received acknowledgment this request was received.

Could you help confirm if this request is going to the right person?

Thank you so much.

Hello Brenda,

Thank you for following up with me. I am responding about my request, reference PRA 024-034.
I am looking specifically for correspondences from the time period of July of 2016 thru March 6, 2024, between (meaning to or from):
rosenthals@peds.ucsf.edu
and
jolson@chla.usc.edu

rosenthals@peds.ucsf.edu
and
nahmad@chla.usc.edu

Thank you,
Michael Laidlaw

Hello Brenda,

Below is correspondence that was sent to you on 4/9/2024 to narrow down the scope of this request. It was sent to: Brenda.Gee@ucsf.edu as this is the source email address you sent from. However, this additional email address was located: bgee@chanoff.ucsf.edu. Please clarify which is correct. In addition, please let me know when I can expect to receive a response from your agency regarding this request.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello Brenda,

Thank you for following up with me. I am responding about my request, reference PRA 024-034.
I am looking specifically for correspondences from the time period of July of 2016 thru March 6, 2024, between (meaning to or from):
rosenthals@peds.ucsf.edu
and
jolson@chla.usc.edu

rosenthals@peds.ucsf.edu
and
nahmad@chla.usc.edu

Thank you,
Michael Laidlaw

-------------------------------------------------------

Sincerely,
MuckRock Staff

Hello Brenda,

Thank you for your partnership on this request. I am following up on your email dated June 20th and am wondering if you have an update on the status of this request. Please advise at your earliest convenience.

Thank You,
MuckRock Staff

Hello Brenda,

Thank you for your continued partnership on this request. I am following up on your email dated June 20th and subsequent phone calls that I have made to your office since that date. Please know that the phone number listed on your website is now invalid and needs to be updated: (415) 476-4451. I am currently requesting an update on the status of this request, originally submitted March 6, 2024.

Please advise at your earliest convenience.

Thank You,
MuckRock Staff

Hello Brenda,

Thank you for getting back to us. Yes, Michael Laidlaw is the primary point of contact for this request. I look forward to hearing back about this request after you connect with the record custodian.

Best regards,
Michael Laidlaw

Hello Brenda,

Just circling back around to your email sent on July 15th. I still have not yet heard from you about the status of this request. Please advise at your earliest convenience.

Thank You

Dear UCSF representative,

I am considering a legal remedy with respect to my public records request for information.

The following has transpired:

On 3/6/2024, I submitted a request to UCSF as follows:
"Pursuant to the California Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

All email communications from jolson@chla.usc.edu to UCSF or from UCSF to jolson@chla.usc.edu from the time period of July of 2016 thru March 6, 2024.

jolson@chla.usc.edu is the email of the NIH funded researcher Johanna Olson.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes."

On 4/1/24 I received this in a response from Brenda Gee of UCSF:
"This letter is to acknowledge your written request for documents regarding “Johana Olson” made pursuant to the California Public Records Act (CPRA), Government Code §7920 et seq., and dated March 6, 2024.

Request 024-034 is overly broad and cannot be processed as submitted. UCSF does not have a centralized search system that is capable of searching all users.

The University would like to assist you in making a focused and specific request that can be processed. One way to accomplish this would be to submit a request that seeks correspondence between specific individuals. May I please ask if you have a list of individuals?"

On 4/9/24, I made a specific and focused request in response to the communication:
"Thank you for following up with me. I am responding about my request, reference PRA 024-034.
I am looking specifically for correspondences from the time period of July of 2016 thru March 6, 2024, between (meaning to or from):
rosenthals@peds.ucsf.edu
and
jolson@chla.usc.edu

rosenthals@peds.ucsf.edu
and
nahmad@chla.usc.edu"

Thereafter there was a communication from Brenda Gee on 6/20/24 which contained the following:
"I am writing in response to your messages regarding PRA 024-034.

I will need to look into the status and write to you again next week."

And then on 7/15/24, Brenda Gee wrote:
"I have just returned from an absence and will need to write again once I connect with the record custodian, which should be within the week.

May I please ask if Michael Laidlaw continues to be the primary point of contact for this request?"

And on 7/16/24, I responded:
"Thank you for getting back to us. Yes, Michael Laidlaw is the primary point of contact for this request. I look forward to hearing back about this request after you connect with the record custodian."

However, even after numerous follow up communications to UCSF, I have not received a response as to whether or not my request will be fulfilled.

I have concerns about undue burden and delayed response to a records request.

If I do not receive a response in the next 7 days, I am notifying you that I will examine my options for a legal remedy to this situation.

Best regards,

Michael Laidlaw

Dear Ms. Gee

I am following up on the status of UCSF PRA 024-034, dated March 6, 2024 and modified on April 9, 2024
as it has been over 90 days since your last communication telling me that the University is working with the custodian to collect responsive records

Thank you very much,

Michael Laidlaw