Orange County needs to release the peer review of the paramedic who responded to Atlas Fraley's 9-1-1 call.
Doing so would begin to mend the public's lack of confidence in the county's emergency services.
Last year Fraley a football player at Chapel Hill High called 9-1-1 complaining of muscle cramps. He had recently returned from football practice and thought he was dehydrated and needed an IV.
The responding paramedic James Griffin examined Fraley and told Fraley to drink more fluids. Griffin then allowed Fraley to sign his own release.
Fraley's parents found him dead that evening.
Ten days later Griffin was suspended from EMS practices in Orange County.
Griffin subsequently came under review by the N.C. Office of Emergency Medical Services.
The review was completed on March 20 and the report was released on June 1.
Griffin hasn't lost his paramedic license but he will not be allowed to practice in Orange County without retraining.
The state was right to release the results of the review.
But Orange County has failed to release a peer review investigating Griffin's conduct.
N.C. law deems such information confidential because it deals with personnel records.
But public confidence has been shaken by the incident.
And the law stipulates that the county manager with the consent of the commissioners can release personnel records when public confidence in the administration or services of the government is at risk.
Releasing personnel records is no minor task. But a young man died and the public needs all the information available about why that happened.
Suppressing the records only gives the impression that the county is hiding something.
The public should have confidence in its government services. In order for that confidence to be restored we need Griffin's peer review.
