Department of Public Welfare v. Froehlich ex rel. Community Legal Services

OPINION BY

Judge PELLEGRINI.

The Department of Public Welfare (Department) appeals an Office of Open Records (OOR) determination granting the appeal of Michael Froehlich (Froehlich) and ordering the Department to provide the requested records to Froehlich at no cost because the Department failed to set forth a non-discriminatory basis for denying Froehlich’s fee-waiver request. Because the OOR lacks jurisdiction to hear such appeals, its determination is vacated.

The facts of this case are not in dispute. Froehlich is a staff attorney for Community Legal Services (CLS), a non-profit law firm…