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Superintendent: Plyler v. Doe, FERPA shape district response to recent federal orders on immigration and Title IX
Summary
Dr. Bob McBride told the board the district will follow existing legal protections—Plyler v. Doe (1982), FERPA and the Illinois School Records Act—and that law enforcement access to students under 18 is limited without parent permission or a court order; the district is consulting attorneys about Title IX changes.
During the Jan. 27 briefing, Superintendent Dr. Bob McBride said recent presidential executive orders on immigration and LGBTQ/Title IX matters are being reviewed but that established federal and state law govern day-to-day school operations.
"There's a supreme court case, Plyer versus Doe 1982, that ensures that students, regardless of immigration status, have a right to come to public school in The United States," McBride said, citing the case as a bedrock protection. He also referenced FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and the Illinois School Records Act as safeguards for student data.
McBride told parents and guardians that, except for Department of Children and Family Services or when a court order applies, law enforcement agencies cannot access a student under 18 without parental notification and permission. He listed several law-enforcement agencies (including ICE, the Secret Service, the FBI and state and local police) as examples of entities that must follow those limits.
On Title IX, McBride said the district is "spending a lot of time right now deciding, learning, talking with attorneys about what changes in Title IX regulations in 2024 and 2020 mean for us." He characterized the district’s role as primarily implementing state school code and guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education while lawyers interpret federal changes.
The superintendent emphasized that the district’s focus is students and that administrators will continue to notify and involve parents when law enforcement contact is contemplated. The transcript records these legal references and statements; it does not include legal analysis or attorney statements beyond McBride’s summary.
