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Resident says superintendent disclosed a child’s special needs publicly and asks solicitor to report alleged FERPA/HIPAA violation
Summary
A resident addressing the South Moreland board claimed the superintendent publicly identified a child as having special needs at a May 19 meeting, asked the solicitor to verify reporting of a possible FERPA/HIPAA violation and requested the comment be quoted in the minutes.
During the public comment period at the June 23 South Moreland School District board meeting, an attendee raised a formal complaint alleging that at a May 19 public meeting the superintendent had publicly identified a child’s medical or educational condition.
The attendee said the superintendent had stated, "I am the parent of a special needs student," and alleged the Director of Special Education position was being justified in part to "make certain that my child's special needs would be properly met." The resident told the board that, in their view, naming a child’s special needs in public raised legal concerns under FERPA and HIPAA and asked the board solicitor to confirm whether the solicitor had reported the matter to appropriate government agencies.
The resident also asked that their comments be quoted in the meeting minutes and described the matter as a "serious legal issue." The transcript records the resident asking specifically that those comments appear in the minutes.
The board did not record a formal response in the public meeting that would resolve the allegation. The solicitor was listed on the agenda and appeared during the reports section, saying they had "no report tonight." The complaint therefore remained unresolved in the meeting record.
The allegation, as presented at the meeting, is a citizen claim about conduct that the resident said occurred at a prior public meeting; the board did not take immediate disciplinary action or open a formal investigation during this session. The resident’s request for verification to be provided to the board and documented in the minutes was made on the record.
