East Central Reporter

Timelines and official responses are at the center of a dispute over whether a Shelby County Dive Team email address is considered an official government record. The issue arose after several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests sought records from the Shelby County Dive Team, specifically communications with its commander, Austin Pritchard.

On April 25, 2024, a FOIA request was sent asking for the official email address of the dive commander. The response provided [email protected] as the contact. Months later, on September 4, 2024, another FOIA request asked for all email addresses used by Shelby County Department Heads and elected officials, including those related to the Rescue/Dive Team. The county clerk responded that same day with emails responsive to the request.

These responses suggest that Austin Pritchard’s private Gmail account was being used as an official contact address for county business.

A subsequent FOIA request on November 7, 2024, asked for run reports from July 2024 and was sent to multiple addresses including [email protected]. According to records, this request went unanswered by Pritchard—a factor contributing to a lawsuit over alleged FOIA violations.

During legal proceedings regarding the dismissed FOIA case, the attorney representing Shelby County argued that requests had been sent “directly to the Dive Team Commander, Austin Pritchard,” but claimed Pritchard had been instructed only to use an “official dive team email” and thus did not receive certain requests. However, documentation shows that both previous FOIA responses from county officials identified [email protected] as an official address.

In correspondence dated May 1, 2024, Pritchard himself told a requester:

“The Shelby County Board formed the Shelby County Dive Team in July of 2023, I was appointed to commander on April 11, 2024, therefore I have no records responsive to your request.

Any future requests for information should be submitted to ‘[email protected]’ and NOT my personal email, thank you.”

Despite this directive from Pritchard and prior confirmations from county staff identifying [email protected] as an official contact point for public records requests under Illinois law (https://www2.illinois.gov/foia/Pages/default.aspx), court filings included statements such as:

“The second email attached as Exhibit B dated August 16, 2024, was sent to an email address of: [email protected]. This email account does not exist.”

This contradiction raises questions about how government agencies manage electronic communications and respond to public information requests.

The disputed Gmail address reportedly continues to be used in routine communication among county officials. This ongoing usage suggests it remains active despite claims made during litigation.

The matter highlights broader issues about transparency in local government operations and how counties handle their obligations under state open records laws.