The Austin American-Statesman and its parent company, GateHouse Media LLC, is suing the University of Texas over the school's refusal to supply records related to students disciplined for sexual misconduct.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in state District Court in Travis County, names UT President Gregory L. Fenves, Chief Financial Officer Darrell Bazzell and UT System Chancellor James B. Milliken as defendants.

The Statesman requested in late August the final results of all disciplinary hearings conducted into any student who was alleged to have committed sex crimes since 2014. The university declined to release the records, citing the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, otherwise known as FERPA, which is intended to protect private student information like academic and medical records.

John Bussian, attorney for the Statesman, said the records of disciplinary action over sexual misconduct at a public university are exempt neither from the Texas Public Information Act nor FERPA.

"They are by definition public records to which the public has a right of access," Bussian said.

A similar case recently went through litigation in North Carolina, where the student newspaper at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, The Daily Tarheel, sued that university's administration over its refusal to release records of disciplinary action related to student sexual misconduct. The case was recently argued before the North Carolina Supreme Court, and the court is expected to issue a ruling in the coming months.

Statesman Executive Editor John Bridges said federal law makes it clear that universities are free to disclose the information that the paper is seeking.

"It's disheartening that the University of Texas, given an opportunity for openness and transparency, chose instead to keep these records from the public," he said.

A UT spokesman did not respond a request for comment on the lawsuit. It typically takes the court several days to serve lawsuits to defendants.