Dr. William Kritsonis Public School Law

1. Privacy Issues: Community,Educators, and Students William Allan Kritsonis, PhD

2. The Right of Privacy vs. The Right to Know…

3. The community, educators, and students have the RIGHT to Privacy and the RIGHT to know… Depending on circumstance

4. The Community’s Right to Know….

6. states “Every regular, special, or called meeting of a governmental body shall be OPEN to the public.”

7. The meetings must be held within the boundaries of the school district.

9. A written notice must be accessible at the administration building to inform the public about the place, date, time, and subjects at lease 72 hours BEFORE the meeting

10. Only subjects on the written notice should be discussed

13. Every citizen is entitled to a prompt and appropriate response to an open records request. Texas Public Information ACT The Right to Know

15. Educator’s degree obtained and curriculum studied

16. Records and allegations against a school personnelAll personal Information and lifestyle matters that will violate someone’s privacy Evaluation documents Transcripts

17. Rights to Know vs. Rights to Privacy Parents and Students’

18. FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds from the state This Act ensure student and parental rights in education. It also allows a student to VIEW or COPY the items inside of their records. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act The Parent/Students’ Rights

20. Parents have unlimited access to their child’s attendance and counseling records, test scores, reports about behavior, and ANY files, documents, and other material maintained by the school district pertaining to their child.

21. Parents are entitled to receive a understanding about assessments that may be used to determine learning behaviors and personality traits. Parental consent is needed.

23. The 4th Amendment guarantees the rights of the people to be secured in their persons, house, paper, and effects, against UNREASONABLE searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause

25. As general rule, most districts practice their right to know when suspicion arises. If an individual is suspected of illegal drug possession or usage, they can be subjected to drug testing. *This rule also applies to educators. Some degree of individualized suspicion is needed Answer: Yes, BUT….

26. Searches and Seizures Do school officials hold the same RIGHTS as parents to search a student to preserve order?

28. School officials can search a student if:a there is a REASONABLE cause that the student has violated a school rule or law. the search is appropriate for the age, gender, and nature of offence **A search can include lockers, cars, backpacks, and personal belongings

30. Students should also know that any item in “plain view” will be taken and could be subjected to discipline measures.*students’ privacy rights are limited in the public school setting because the district is responsible and expected to maintain order.

31. Sniffer Dogs and Metal Detectors The use of sniffer dogs or metal detectors to inspect personal belongings, lockers and cars on school property is NOT considered a search during a general search. However…. Once a sniffer dog or metal detectors alerts school officials, there is grounds for REASONABLE SUSPICION and a search can be conducted to locate the contraband

32. The United States Supreme court ruled that public schools are entitled to protection of the Fourth Amendment. Yet, the courts realized that school officials may need to perform searches to maintain order. The FULL protection of the Constitution Does NOT apply to students.

33. The Educators’ Right to Know and Right to Privacy…

34. Right to know or the Right of privacy? Is the personal information stored on a teacher’s school-district owned computer private information?

36. “The constitutional right of privacy does not protect against the disclosure of information about unlawful activity” P.350

37. Defamation is false and unprivileged spoken words or written publication, which expose ridicules to lower the reputation of someone. These statements has a tendency to cause damage to one’s occupation. Two types of defamation: slander- oral statements libel- written statements Law of defamation: slander and libel

38. the words meets the definition of defamation the words were communicated to a third party the words are false caused injury These conditions suggest some defense to claim of defamation. Employees have the RIGHT to clear their names if their reputation is stigmatized due to defamation Hammond v. Katy ISD Educators have a RIGHT to take legal action against defamation if:

40. When a situation involves personal information, student records, students rights, work ethics, searches, and seizes, it is necessary for one act with caution and use common sense to avoid violating someone’s constitutional rights and the risk of a lawsuit. Know the difference between the Right to KNOW and the Right to PRIVACY. Summary