The unauthorized and unfortunate disclosure of students' private data on May 19th was a human error.
Mistakes happen; we get that. Our concern is with the District leadership's lack of response. As we've addressed, the identity of over 230 students on 504 Plans (medical and special education plans) was distributed in a mass email by someone at District 67 last month.
This was personal and private information. Our children must feel that they can seek the help they need without the District making it public. We think this is a big deal and sincerely assumed our District leadership felt the same way.
Sadly, the District's lack of response to the data breach is just another example of abject leadership failure.
- No mass communication with the community and the individuals directly affected
- No articulation of District efforts to ensure it won't happen again (we've heard that this has happened on several occasions before)
- No empathy or offer of support for the affected students and their parents
It may not be you or your child who was affected by this particular breach, but literally two dozen of your neighbors have reached out to us, expressing their frustration and concern at what they perceive as a callous indifference by District leadership.
Feeling their pain, we drafted the below letter and sent it to the Superintendent, suggesting that sending something similar would be appreciated by many in our community. Sadly, it, too, was ignored.
Dear [Community Members],
Subject: Apology for the Inadvertent Disclosure of Private Student Information
I am writing to address a recent incident within our school district that has understandably caused concern and distress within our community. On behalf of the entire District 67, I sincerely apologize for the inadvertent disclosure of private student information through an email sent by one of our employees.
First and foremost, I want to emphasize that the privacy and security of our students' personal information are of the utmost importance to us. We deeply regret this breach of trust and assure you that we are treating this matter with the seriousness it deserves.
Upon discovering the error, we immediately launched a thorough investigation to determine the cause and extent of the disclosure. We have identified the employee responsible for this unintentional private information release and taken appropriate disciplinary action. We are also working diligently to mitigate any potential consequences resulting from this incident.
We understand the distress and concern this incident has caused among the affected students and their families. We are committed to supporting those affected by providing them with the necessary resources and assistance. Please contact me if you or your student need assistance.
We also understand the paramount importance of creating an environment where students and families feel safe and secure when sharing the necessary private information required to facilitate their education. Accordingly, I want to assure you that we are taking immediate steps to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. We are implementing additional training and awareness programs for all our staff members to reinforce the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of student information. We are also revisiting our internal protocols and communication systems to enhance the security measures and safeguards in place.
Open communication with our community is vital to our commitment to transparency. We will continue to keep you informed of any further developments and measures we take to address this situation. Our goal is to regain your trust and reaffirm our commitment to protecting the privacy of our students.
Please accept my sincere apologies once again for this unfortunate incident. We value your trust in us as a school district and are dedicated to upholding the highest standards of student privacy and data protection.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions regarding this matter. We remain committed to working collaboratively with our community to ensure that such incidents do not recur.
Thank you for your understanding, patience, and ongoing support. Together, we will continue to provide a safe and nurturing environment for our students to thrive.
Sincerely,67 School Board President & Superintendent
What do you think? Did the District handle this issue appropriately, or should they have done more?
Subscribe
