Case Explained: SOUTHCENTRAL FOUNDATION V. ALASKA NATIVE TRIBAL HEALTH CONSORTIUM

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Filed: 2026-08-13 Docket: 3:17-cv-00018-SLG The ninth-circuit reversed in part and affirmed in part the district court’s order granting reconsideration of a prior judgment enforcing SCF’s rights. The court held that the district court abused its discretion by vacating the order requiring ANTHC to produce 15 specific documents, finding that SCF’s motion properly identified those documents and that ANTHC had ample opportunity to contest arguments regarding in camera review raised in reply briefs. Additionally, the court ruled that the dispute over the documents was not moot because effective relief remained available despite ANTHC’s offer of temporary access. Conversely, the court affirmed the district court’s decision to uphold the striking of specific sections of ANTHC’s disclosure policy (§§ 5.4.1.1 and 5.4.1.7), concluding that the district court reasonably interpreted the policy in light of ANTHC’s statutory obligations to disclose information necessary for SCF’s governance rights. The court declined to address whether the reconsideration order vacated prospective procedural provisions, directing the parties to raise that issue with the district court first. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.