Justin Burnett reports:
A South Whidbey School District policy to name online the requestors of public records may be a violation of federal student privacy laws.
Open government champions have expressed concern that the policy may run afoul of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, commonly referred to as FERPA. The rules protect student education records from public disclosure, and apply to all schools that receive U.S. Department of Education funding, including South Whidbey.
Several parents have now joined those raising concern about the policy, specifically its implications concerning FERPA, and they’ve either already taken or are considering legal action against the school district. Superintendent Jo Moccia this week confirmed that the district’s online document has been modified to reflect some of those concerns, but that there is disagreement about whether a FERPA violation has actually occurred.
“The district disagrees with the legal interpretation,” she said.
Read more on South Whidbey Record.