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Parent describes Title IX complaint and Minnesota Disability Law Center findings on biometric data use
Summary
A parent described a pending Title IX complaint alleging sexual misconduct and urged the board to act after she said the district failed to enforce safety plans; she also cited a Jan. 30, 2025 Minnesota Disability Law Center letter finding the district improperly collected students' biometric heart-rate data.
A parent, Kate Madonna Quast, addressed the Lakeville Area Schools board during public comment on Oct. 14 about a sequence of incidents involving her son and said the district had not adequately enforced safety plans. Quast said a Title IX complaint is open after a student exposed himself during a soccer practice and later assaulted her son; she said district supportive measures were delayed and a written safety plan had not been implemented.
Quast also told the board she was leaving the Minnesota Disability Law Center’s Jan. 30, 2025 letter with the board. That letter, she said, found that Lakeville Area Schools violated state and federal privacy laws by collecting students’ biometric data — specifically heart-rate monitor data — linking it to students' names and using it for grading without parental consent. She cited Minnesota Statute 13.32 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act as the bases of the MDLC finding.
Why it matters: The speaker described allegations that implicate Title IX procedures and special-education accommodations; she also cited an external legal finding about biometric data collection and student privacy. Those claims raise questions about compliance with federal disability and privacy law and about district processes for implementing safety and supportive measures for students.
Board response and follow-up: Board members acknowledged receipt of materials. At the meeting the speaker left a copy of the Title IX supportive-measures plan and the Minnesota Disability Law Center findings with district representatives. The board did not deliberate or vote on actions related to the claims during the Oct. 14 meeting; the superintendent and Title IX coordinator previously corresponded with the parent, per the transcript.
What the speaker requested: Quast asked the board to review the Title IX handling and to note the MDLC findings regarding biometric data; she said supportive measures were only implemented seven days after her initial request and that investigative steps and notice had been delayed.
What’s next: The transcript shows no board vote. Matters that involve Title IX or alleged violations of law are processed through district and federal procedures; the board indicated administrators would follow up as necessary.
