OREM, Utah-The fight to keep controversial filmmaker Michael Moore off the Utah Valley State campus this Wednesday has been taken to the courts.

Kay Anderson and a student, Dan Garcia, filed a lawsuit Monday in Orem against the college’s student organization and the student council adviser, Phil Clegg.

The lawsuit seeks to void the school’s contract with Moore until the student government can vote on it. It also seeks to keep the school from paying Moore until the court can determine whether the contract was executed properly.

“We do believe that if they had done this properly in the first place, the students would have voted it down,” said plaintiff Kay Anderson, whose children have attended UVSC.

The matter has been referred to an attorney with the state Attorney General’s Office, which represents the college.

Student leaders have refused to comment on the suit. School spokesman Derek Hall said the university followed proper procedures in the matter.

The suit claims that the student government association disenfranchised its members by obligating the organization to a contract “that, by virtue of the amount of the contract, was specifically intended to be decided by a vote of the students” in the government.

The suit also alleges Clegg acted outside his authority when he signed a contract exceeding the spending limit set out in the student organization’s constitution.

According to the suit, the student government entered into a contract with Greater Talent Network Inc. for $50,500, plus $500 for ground transportation, to bring Moore to the school.

The suit says an additional expense of $1,250 plus cleaning will need to be paid to the McKay Events Center in addition to the estimated $11,000 in security costs. That brings the total expense to more than $63,250, the suit says.

Moore’s scheduled visit has riled Utah Valley conservatives who say the student government misused public money by spending most of its $50,000 budget to book the “Fahrenheit 9/11” director.

Anderson previously offered student leaders $25,000 to rescind the invitation.

Because it had received so many complaints, the school brought in conservative talk show host Sean Hannity to speak last week in an effort balance Moore’s perspective.

The Associated Press