“If the courts aren’t able to rectify what appears to be a flaw in the wording of the current statute, then lobbying the legislature to change the law is not only within The Crimson’s rights, but part of what our system of government is all about,” Anderson said.

Amit R. Paley ’04, who was president of The Crimson when the suit was filed last year, said the ruling to dismiss was premature. He said the decision deprived The Crimson of the chance to enter its evidence in a trial.

“The judge might have looked a little bit too far ahead of the game,” said Paley, who now sits on an advisory group formed by Iuliano to examine the issues raised by the suit.

But Paley expressed optimism for the future, citing prominent Massachusetts suits that have been dismissed in early stages but have gone on to win on appeal.

“The fact that this very lower-level judge happened to be a very strict constructionalist doesn’t mean it’s the end of the fight for records,” he said.

—Staff writer Simon W. Vozick-Levinson can be reached at vozick@fas.harvard.edu.