Complainant alleged that the School Department violated the APRA when it failed to provide notice of the appeal process in its denial. Under the APRA, "[a]ny denial of the right to inspect or copy records…shall be made to the person or entity requesting the right in writing giving the specific reasons for the denial within ten (10) business days of the request and indicating the procedures for appealing the denial." See R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-7(a). Based on the evidence presented, we found that by not providing Complainant with documents responsive to the request because the School Department did not maintain such documents, Complainant's request was denied. Therefore, we concluded that the School Department violated the APRA when it failed to indicate the appeal procedure in its denial letter.
