Kathie Walker frequents city council meetings to talk about Cal Poly Greek Life and has been an advocate for livable neighborhoods in San Luis Obispo. She filed a lawsuit last month against President Jeffrey Armstrong and the California State University Board of Trustees to release public records listing fraternity and sorority sanctioned events addresses.
Walker first requested public records regarding Greek life addresses in the Fall of 2023 from Cal Poly, first inquiring about satellite house addresses not included in the first AB 524 report and later asking about the addresses of sanctioned events. She says she received responses that the addresses were not public records under the California Public Records Act and cited the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, an act protecting student’s educational records.
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Cal Poly published the addresses of sanctioned events in the first Campus Recognized Sorority and Fraternity Transparency Act but made the decision to get rid of the addresses of sanctioned events in subsequent reports, according to University Spokesperson Matt Lazier. This decision was made with student privacy in mind.
In response to a records request in November 2025, Cal Poly’s Civil Rights and Compliance office gave Walker access to an Fraternity and Sorority Life event registration form on Feb. 6, but redacted some of the addresses.
Official Greek houses are only allowed in medium- or high-density residential zones with a conditional use permit, but residents like Walker are worried about satellite Greek housing in restricted lower-density zones, as per city code.
“When large fraternity events happen in residential neighborhoods, the location is everything,” Walker wrote in an email to Mustang News. “It’s how the city determines whether the use is allowed, notifies property owners, and responds appropriately when problems arise. Without that information, enforcement becomes nearly impossible.”
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John Mezzapesa, code enforcement supervisor for the city, made a public records request to the Cal Poly Civil Rights and Compliance Office in October, asking if there were any Greek life events registered at a list of addresses he compiled. The office responded, saying the records are not public because they are not records regarding the conduct of Cal Poly as a business.
“These changes to how information is collected and reported eliminate the city’s ability to administratively determine if violations have occurred,” Mezzapesa previously told Mustang News. “The city now must try and collect evidence such as social media posts and perform inspections and interviews to determine if a sanctioned event has taken place.”
Walker said at the most basic level, she is asking for transparency and access to the same type of information that she said the city relies on for enforcement.
“More broadly, I hope this helps create a system where residents, the City and Cal Poly are all working from the same information,” Walker wrote in an email to Mustang News. “That leads to better decisions and, ultimately, a community where everyone can coexist.”
The lawsuit also seeks for legal fees to be covered and declaratory relief, asking the court to determine that these addresses are public records under the California Public Records Act and must be disclosed. A case management hearing is scheduled for Sept. 17, where the petitioner and respondent, or their attorneys, are expected to attend, according to court documents
“I want you to know that it is not about being anti-student or anti-Greek life,” Walker wrote. “We truly enjoy our college student neighbors and have lasting relationships with many who have graduated, moved away, and started their own families.”
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The university did not have a comment at the time, saying that this is pending litigation. Mustang News reached out to California State University on March 28 and have not received a response.
Correction: The article previously misdescribed declaratory relief and has been updated.