G, et al v. Appleton Area School District, et al

Filing 62

ORDER DIRECTING COUNSEL TO FILE REDACTED COPIES as ordered in 54 Order on Motion to Seal Document, signed by Chief Judge William C Griesbach on 06/04/2013. Defendants are directed to file redacted copies of the documents currently under seal within 15 days from the date of this order. Questions concerning how to file these redacted documents into the record should be directed to the Office of the Clerk at [phone]. (cc: all counsel)(Griesbach, William)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN
MEGAN G. et al.,
Plaintiffs,
v.

Case No. 12-C-115

APPLETON AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT et al.,
Defendants.

ORDER

Previously, defendants in this matter filed a motion to seal requesting that various deposition
transcripts filed in support of its motion for summary judgment be maintained under seal. Grounds
for maintaining the depositions under seal were that they contained the names of the minor plaintiffs
identified in the docket caption only by their initials. The court granted defendants’ motion to seal
and directed them to file redacted copies. (ECF No. 54.) It appears on a review of the docket that
the only reason the depositions are sealed is because they contain the names of the minor plaintiffs.
In addition, the defendants have not yet filed redacted copies of the deposition transcripts as directed
by the court in its last order. Just because the name of a minor plaintiff appears in a deposition
transcript is not a sufficient reason to maintain the entire document under seal. In the circumstance
where there is a need to withhold sensitive identifying information such as this, rather than file an
unredacted copy with the court with an accompanying motion to seal, Federal Rule of Civil
Procedure 5.2(a) directs that parties file redacted copies including only the minor’s initials. See also
4B Wright & Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure: Civil 3d § 1155 (“The rule places the

obligation on counsel and the party or non-party making the filing to redact the protected
information, not the clerk of the district court.”).
Accordingly, defendants are directed to file redacted copies of the documents currently
under seal within 15 days from the date of this order. Questions concerning how to file these
redacted documents into the record should be directed to the Clerk.
SO ORDERED this

4th

day of June, 2013.
s/ William C. Griesbach
William C. Griesbach, Chief Judge
United States District Court

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