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Parent statement alleges Talawanda Google Calendar exposure of IEPs; board asks administration to investigate
Summary
During public participation a parent-authored statement read to the board alleged district Google Calendar settings made confidential IEP and disciplinary information viewable; board members directed administration to look into the claim.
A resident told the Talawanda City School District Board of Education on Dec. 19 that the district's Google Calendar settings allow people with district Google accounts to view events that include Individualized Education Program (IEP) links and other potentially confidential information.
Scottie King of Darttown read a statement prepared by a district parent saying that someone accessing the district Google Calendar could see students' IEP meetings, invitations to disciplinary hearings, phone numbers, home addresses and e-mail accounts. The statement said the exposure "is concerning, and likely constitutes another violation of FERPA regulation," and warned parents that they may file FERPA and Title IX complaints.
Board response and next steps: Board members said the concern was legitimate and asked the administration to investigate. The superintendent and other administrators were asked to look into the calendar settings and potential data exposure; the transcript records board members noting the matter should be handled administratively so any security gaps can be fixed.
Why it matters: FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) protects student education records, and the public statement alleges those protections may be undermined by calendar visibility. The board did not take a formal vote at the meeting on the matter; it directed administrators to review the issue.
What was said (excerpt): "Anyone with the Talawanda School District Google Calendar can view students' IEPs, links with the invitations to the meeting, as well as information about expulsions, disciplinary hearings, phone numbers, home addresses, e-mail accounts, and other information," the statement read. The board subsequently instructed the administration to investigate the claim.
Provenance: The allegation was raised during the public participation portion of the Dec. 19 meeting and the board directed administrators to review and report back.
