In accordance with a court order, the University of Kentucky has provided the open records requested by the Kentucky Kernel regarding an alleged September 2024 rape in Chellgren Hall.

According to a Lexington Police arrest report, Chase McGuire allegedly sexually assaulted a UK student, both off and on campus, on Sept. 19 and 20, 2024.

McGuire, a non-UK student, was arrested and charged with five counts of 1st degree rape, four counts of 3rd degree sodomy, one count of 3rd degree sexual abuse and one count of 1st degree strangulation on Sept. 25, according to court documents.

On March 18, a Fayette County grand jury did not find “enough evidence” to indict McGuire and the case was dismissed, Kathryn Holt, an assistant Commonwealth attorney said.

The Kernel requested records of non-UK student Chellgren Hall guests on Sept. 20, 2024, from midnight until 8 p.m., and of any occasion where McGuire signed into a residence hall in the 2024-2025 academic year.

UK denied the request because providing the records would be “considered an invasion of personal privacy,” UK said.

Fayette County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Travis ruled the documents sought by the Kernel to be public record, therefore subject to the Open Records Act, on April 17.  

The Kernel received records on May 5 showing McGuire was checked into Chellgren Hall from Sept. 18 at 6:54 a.m. until Sept. 20 at 5:44 a.m. McGuire was then checked back in on Sept. 20 at 5:44 a.m. and was checked out at 10:07 a.m. All names except for McGuire’s were withheld.

According to the police report, McGuire allegedly sexually assaulted the UK student on Sept. 19 through Sept. 20 on and off campus, though the records shared with the Kernel do not show McGuire checking out of Chellgren Hall between Sept. 18 and 20. 

The police report also said the alleged victim reported McGuire sexually assaulted her in her dorm during the “evening hours” of Sept. 20. The records shared with the Kernel did not show McGuire checking into Chellgren that night. 

“We’re very pleased that the court ruled these records had to be released and we’re glad to finally have them,” Kernel media lawyer Mike Abate said. “We don’t understand why the university fought so hard to keep this information from the public, but we do think that it raises some questions as to whether the visitor policy in the dorms is being consistently and strictly enforced.”