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Parent warns Securely hall‑pass could reveal sensitive student health patterns
Summary
A Centennial High parent told the Williamson County Schools board the Securely hall‑pass system logs restroom visits and durations that could act as a proxy period‑tracking app; he urged strict data‑retention limits, access controls and deidentification to protect students.
A father of a Centennial High School student told the Williamson County Schools board that the district's new Securely digital hall‑pass system records students' classroom exits and restroom durations in ways that could reveal private health information.
"This system is collecting proxy biometric information about students," David Dunn said during public comment, adding that the pattern of restroom use could reveal when students are menstruating. He urged the board to limit retention to three months, restrict teacher access to immediate classroom needs, require detailed logging of who views reports and ensure reported data are deidentified.
Dr. Webb told the board Securely has been used at several district schools and that instructional technology and IT vetted the system. "We'll follow up to make sure those individual aspects were part of our vetting process," she said, promising the district would report back to trustees on any additional protections.
The exchange did not include a vote or policy change; Dunn framed the issue as both a privacy risk and a potential legal exposure, saying the system was "a lawsuit waiting to happen" unless safeguards are implemented. The board did not take immediate action at the meeting but noted the matter for follow up.
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