Phil: Hi, my child claimed a school official harmed him. Is there a way I can obtain video surveillance from the school? I see that under FERPA, it seems unclear because it may be a law enforcement record. Does that mean I should contact the police?
Educational Records: VIDEO SURVEILLANCE RECORDS
I am going through the same thing. I am being cited FERPA but no one could explain to me how FERPA is appropriate in regards to viewing a tape and the difference of seeing kids whenever they come to campus. The state of Texas makes rules applicable to protect staff and administration and I am sick and tired of it. How can we as parents trust the campus when they are constantly in denial. TEA does absolutely nothing and it seems as if they condone the behavior of campus staff and administrators and parents have absolutely no rights whatsoever!! Disagree with goals, PLAAFP or any other information, the campus is allowed to implement. No parental discussion or input, campus still allowed to implement. The state of Texas is a huge joke and our kids are the ones that will suffer long term!!
While TX parents face many issues, there are ways to deal with them I am with the TX parent training & information center. You can find our staff that works with your area of the state at: http://www.prntexas.org
I recommend proceeding in the following order: 1. If the video exists, you can request an appointment to view the video under FERPA. 2. You can report the incident to the police. This is an avenue that is always open to a parent. 3. If they try to cite violation of the other students’ privacy, you can quote the following court case: http://www.ithacajournal.com/story/news/education/2016/09/26/icsd-release-video-controversial-talk/91128428/
But before you do any of that stuff, figure out what your goals are, and write them down for yourself. I know all too well it is easy to get caught up in reacting.
The district should have written policy about who can view the video & when. Ask for the policy. It may be on the district’s website or you may need to the administrative building.