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Superintendent says district complied with FERPA and mandatory‑reporting after social media allegations about a student assignment
Summary
Superintendent Carlin told the Lee County School Board the district cannot discuss student records under FERPA but said the reported assignment was an interview about a moment in time and that the district has complied with mandatory reporting under Chapter 39, Florida Statutes.
Superintendent Carlin addressed allegations circulating on social media about a student project and told the board the district cannot disclose student‑level details because of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Florida law. She said the assignment in question was "simply to interview someone about a moment in time."
“To be absolutely clear, the school district would not and not ever allow any assignment that would ask for explicit information nor explore anything related to pedophilia,” Superintendent Carlin said. She added that the district “has complied with chapter 39 of Florida statutes, which requires mandatory reporting in incidents of suspected child abuse, abandonment or neglect,” and that the district has followed its internal policies and statutory requirements.
Carlin asked the board and audience to recognize that the health, welfare and safety of students remain the district’s paramount concern, and she said staff are constrained from sharing details about individual student matters because of federal and state privacy laws.
Ending: The board took no formal action on the matter during the meeting; the superintendent said staff will continue to follow legal requirements and district policy in any investigations.
