MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline)- The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to hear a lawsuit that seeks to change back the name of the football stadium at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
In 2000, then-UWL Chancellor Judith Kuipers named the school's football stadium Roger Harring Stadium after the school's former football coach, who retired in 2000 after a successful career.
In 2005, the Board of Regents adopted a resolution naming the stadium Roger Harring Stadium and naming the field and surrounding practice areas Memorial field. The stadium was originally named Veterans Memorial Stadium in 1945.
After the name change, a group of veterans -- the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1530 and the Vietnam Era Veterans -- sued to force university officials to give back the stadium its original name.
The lawsuit alleged that the university violated open records and public meetings laws and failed to follow internal procedures in renaming the stadium.
A Dane County court tossed the lawsuit, saying the veterans lacked standing to bring their complaint. An appeals court agreed.
The state Supreme Court in its ruling said the appeals court should have never heard the case, allowing the lower court ruling to stand.
From Legal Newsline: Reach staff reporter Chris Rizo at chrisrizo@legalnewsline.com.