Toledo, OH– The ACLU of Northwest Ohio sent a letter to Toledo Public Schools urging the school system to protect students’ personal, private information. The schools have addressed this issue in the past, but have adequate protection to ensure student information is kept secure and private, and that preferential access to the information is not given to one group over another.
ACLU of Northwest Ohio Chair Linda See said, “Although the school administration passed a resolution addressing the issue of securing students’ private information, there is still a great deal more that should be done to provide the best protection for our students’ personal data.”
See went on, “Some of the most troubling provisions that have not been addressed include the failure of the Toledo school system to have a district wide opt-out system and the preferential treatment given to military.”
The school board began discussions on methods to protect students’ privacy following several concerned parents and officials voicing their unease regarding military recruiters having unfettered access to information including students’ full name, address, phone number and other personal data.
Many parents voiced concern that students and parents were uninformed about ways to opt-out of providing their information to military recruiters or were only educated about it after their child’s information was taken by the recruiters.
See added, “Parents and students should have complete control over who is allowed to access their personal, private information. The Toledo Schools have an obligation to empower students and parents so that they may decide who views their information and who does not.”
