A judge ruled on December 14 that Dena Bowers had to reveal the names of collaborators on the NAACP report that led to her firing in November 2005. Though Bowers initially refused, fearing those named could also be fired, her lawyer, Debbie Wyatt, confirmed December 15 that they would be releasing the names by the deadline set by U.S. District Court Judge Norman K. Moon.
 Another twist in the Dena Bowers case: A judge ruled she must turn over the names of those who collaborated on an NAACP document—her refusal to do so was purportedly why she got fired in the first place. |
UVA filed a motion in October to discover the names of anyone involved in the preparation of a much-debated NAACP report that Bowers e-mailed to other UVA employees. When a magistrate judge ruled that Bowers had to hand over the names, Wyatt appealed to Judge Moon, informing him that Bowers was unwilling to sell out her former fellow employees. Moon issued a protective order stating that any disclosures cannot be used for any purpose outside the lawsuit. Wyatt says the protective order makes her feel a lot better about turning over that information.
Ironically, Bowers’ refusal to reveal collaborators was one of the events that led to her firing from UVA in the first place. UVA officials called Bowers “uncooperative, disrespectful and insubordinate” when they tried to investigate the e-mail which contained documents that criticized the University’s chartered restructuring.
That information is one of the main cruxes of Bowers’ case—she claims she is protected by the First Amendment from revealing the source of the NAACP report.
Wyatt says the names of the report’s contributors will likely have no bearing on the case. “Nothing that could be revealed would make more or less constitutional her firing in 2005,” Wyatt says.
