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Former student says district files were accessible; calls for audit and family notification
Summary
An 18-year-old witness told the Wake County school board that student records including grades, attendance and special education plans were accessible on the district network; he urged public disclosure, an outside audit and documented notification to affected families.
An 18-year-old speaker told the Wake County Board of Education on June 2 that he found student records — including grades, attendance, medical records and special education plans (IEPs and 504s) — openly accessible on a district network drive and asked the board to notify families and commission an independent audit.
"I sat down to find one of my own school files. Instead, I found everyone's other students' grades, the attendance, their medical records, their special education plans, the IEPs, and the 504s," Abner San Ba Cruz said. He said the district's initial response was to delete the files and that district staff did not count how many children were exposed or notify families.
San Ba Cruz asked the board to "Tell every family whose child was exposed, publish an account of what was open and for how long, bring in an outside audit, and record the disclosure in each house file the way the law actually asks." He described reporting the discovery and learning that the district addressed the gap but said families were not informed.
District representatives offered to take follow-up steps after public comment; Vice Chair Hershey asked staff (including Dr. Hill) to meet with the students and community members to gather more information. The transcript records no immediate agency-level disclosure to families or a board vote ordering an audit during the meeting.
Why it matters: Student education and health records are highly sensitive. If accurate, the incident could trigger legal notice requirements and administrative reviews. The speaker's description said the district removed files but did not assess the extent of exposure or notify impacted families.
What comes next: The transcript indicates district staff agreed to meet with the speaker and attendees after public comment; the board did not record a formal vote or timeline for an audit or family notification during the June 2 meeting.
Authorities cited in public comment: the speaker requested actions consistent with legal notice and audit practices (speaker did not cite a specific statute by number during the comment).
