When researching information about a local murder involving a 14-year-old student, a Washington, DC, news station found something it wasn't expecting: confidential school records available where anyone could see them.
They came to AACRAO Fellow and Consultant LeRoy Rooker to learn more about FERPA, the law that should have kept those records out of the public eye.
"It's shocking, it really is, that something like that, so sensitive would ever be in a place where it could be inadvertently disclosed," Rooker said. "It's really an egregious thing."
"Although this interview is about an elementary-secondary situation, as opposed to post-secondary, it really highlights the issue of working with third-party contractors," Rooker added. "You need to be very careful with vendors, because when something like this happens, it's the school that gets in trouble, not the vendor."
FERPA compliance training and product reviews
The FERPA Professor offers FERPA training on campuses, as well as vendor product reviews. Please visit our Ask the FERPA Professor archives for more insight from the professor. Send your questions for the FERPA Professor to connect@aacrao.org.