Across the States
School Apologizes For Releasing Family’s Address
When the Asjes family began receiving unexpected mailings from a mail-order company soon after filing their Report of Competent Private Instruction (CPI), they became suspicious that their school system had released their contact information. When they submitted the CPI form, they had told the school system to keep their information private.
Their suspicions were soon confirmed. The mail-order merchant candidly acknowledged that he had received the family’s name and mailing address from the Ames Public School system.
The Asjes family wrote to the Ames school system, asking for an explanation. After two weeks and no response, they contacted Home School Legal Defense Association Staff Attorney Scott Woodruff for help.
Woodruff called the superintendent, explaining that it appeared that the school system had violated the Asjes family’s privacy rights, and that the family was owed a detailed explanation, apology, and rectification. Concerned, the superintendent promised a prompt investigation.
True to her word, the superintendent soon sent a letter to the Asjeses, acknowledging that the family’s information had been improperly released. The letter confirmed that no other information had been released, and that the merchant had destroyed all copies of the information. The letter also promised a follow-up with any other homeschooling families whose information had been improperly released. Along with an apology, the letter further stated that the employee responsible for the infraction had been dealt with, and the superintendent assured the Asjes family that the violation of privacy would not happen again.
In order to protect the privacy of the information on your CPI form, HSLDA recommends that our members fill out our “Privacy Notification Form.” Mail it “return receipt requested,” and file the postal receipt when you receive it. Ideally, you should send the privacy notification at the same time you turn in your CPI form. You can send the privacy form later, but be aware that it will not protect you from violations of your privacy before the school system receives it. Without this form, your school district may release information about your family.
To print the form, visit www.hslda.org, click on “Forms and Resources” in the members section of the site, enter your member user name and password, click on the state of Iowa on the map, and then click on the “Privacy Notification Form” link.
Although use of HSLDA’s form is not mandatory, other forms or methods of asserting your privacy rights may not be as effective.
— by Scott A. Woodruff
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