Student medical records should stay private with only a few, specific exceptions in cases where colleges that are sued need the information to defend themselves, according to draft guidance provided to colleges on Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Education.
The guidelines were issued in a blog post that sought to allay fears of what some observers called a privacy loophole that could make student counseling records vulnerable when cases go to trial.
The post, written by Kathleen M. Styles, chief privacy officer at the Education Department, was accompanied by a draft "Dear Colleague" letter that spells out when it would be permitted, or appropriate, for campus lawyers to pull such records. The department is giving colleges and privacy experts 45 days, until October 2, to comment on the proposed language.
Read more at The Chronicle of Higher Education: http://chronicle.com/article/Education-Dept-Seeks-to/232463