FCPS Report Card: Failures to Secure and Maintain Educational Records, and Refusals to Provide Students and Parents Access to Their Own Records
Updated 4.7.25: This List of Noncompliant Actions Spans 2016–2025 and is Updated as Special Education Action is Made Aware of New Noncompliance
[This article was updated April 7, 2025—and made available to all subscription levels. Information was added under the following dates: December 2022, 12.20.24, 1.20.25, 1.21.25, and 2.28.25. This includes FCPS’s attempt to avoid transparency regarding it 11.14.24 breach. As a reminder: This list reflects noncompliance about which Special Education Action is aware and should not be considered a reflection of all FCPS records-related noncompliance.]
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has been releasing personally identifiable information (PII) about students without their consent for years.
This article details FCPS PII-related violations and findings of noncompliance against FCPS, between 2016 and 2025. It includes the following information:
FCPS breaches across the division;
FCPS division leadership’s response to the breaches;
Responses of federal and state agencies to the breaches;
FCPS’ repeated attempts to advise Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), elected officials, and/or the public that FCPS is innocent, that the breaches are the fault of someone else, that the breaches are isolated, and/or that FCPS takes privacy seriously;
FCPS’ repeated failures to provide parents access to their own students’ records within mandated state and/or federal timelines;
FCPS’ repeated attempts to prevent records from being responsive to FERPA requests, by ccing a lawyer on an e-mail, by training staff not to include students’ names within the records, and/or training staff to avoid written communication; and
Federal and state findings of noncompliance against FCPS.
2015–17 Noncompliance
In an internal FCPS document titled "Hot Topics", dated December 11, 2017, which covers the fiscal years 2015-17, FCPS stated the following about Silverbrook Elementary School:
"A SLP asked all sixth-grade speech students to stand to be recognized during the EOY assembly in front of entire school. Proposed resolution to parents and they declined. CAP required training for SES and letter of assurance. Maintain student confidentiality, particularly about sped status. Provided FERPA/confidentiality training to Silverbrook."
In the same "Hot Topics" document, FCPS stated:
"Confidentiality of student records is a significant concern across the division. FCPS was found out of compliance by VDOE due to a confidentiality breach at Silverbrook ES, and we anticipate a noncompliant finding by VDOE again in the pending state complaint regarding Silverbrook and South County MS."
Related Reading: “Hot Topics” and "FCPS Reports List 400+ Special Education Violations; VDOE Refuses to Investigate"
2016
2.24.16: “No paper/email trail”
FCPS has a history of training staff to avoid putting information in writing, to prevent parents from obtaining it. While this isn't necessarily a cut-and-dry violation, the intention is to prevent access to information, which is problematic.
February 24, 2016, former Silverbrook Elementary School (SES) principal Melaney Mackin advised school psychologist Michael Borsa the following regarding an email sent by a parent:
"I suggest that you do not email your reply to her questions (no paper/email trail) – either call her to discuss or email to say these can be answered when she comes in for the next meeting with the committee."
SES is the same school cited in the 2015-17 “Hot Topics” report for FERPA violations.
Additional Reading: “Fairfax County Public Schools Trains Staff to Thwart FERPA Requests: Don't Put it in Writing”
6.10.16: FCPS’ FERPA Response Includes Unredacted PII
Within its response to a 6.10.16 FERPA request I submitted, FCPS provided me a special education screening committee schedule that listed the unredacted names of two students being screened at West Springfield Elementary School.
7.21.16: FCPS’ FERPA Response Includes Unredacted PII
Within its response to a 7.21.16 FERPA request I submitted, FCPS provided me private information about two staff members at Silverbrook Elementary School.
2017
2.3.17: FCPS Teacher Shares Student PII with Husband
A former South County Middle School teacher bcc'd her husband on an email that contained confidential student information.
Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) found FCPS in noncompliance for breach of privacy.
2.28.17: FCPS Teacher Shares Student PII with Husband
The same former South County Middle School teacher who bcc’d her husband on 2.3.17, again bcc'd her husband on an email that contained confidential student information.
VDOE found FCPS in noncompliance for breach of privacy.
FCPS later stated that the teacher bcc’d her husband so he was aware of her schedule, so that they could arrange childcare for their own family. Although the husband was a teacher at the same school, the husband had no reason to have access to the student’s PII, hence VDOE’s finding of noncompliance against the teacher.
3.17.17: FCPS Senior Specialist E-Mails PII to Wrong Person
Jim Burgess, a former senior specialist, breached the privacy of a student and parent and then refused to provide the parent the name of the individual to whom Burgess provided information about her and her child.
Additional Reading: “FCPS Office of Special Education Procedural Support Has a History of Privacy Breaches”
6.7.17: FCPS Teacher Admits PII Being Shared through FCPS Grapevine
A former Silverbrook Elementary School (SES) teacher emailed then-SES Principal Melaney Mackin that he "heard through the grape vine [sic] that this family has been giving you a bit of trouble". Mackin responded to him, indicating that she would speak with him, even though the family didn’t provide Mackin permission to discuss PII with a teacher who wasn’t an employee of the school; the family did not provide the teacher the information he claimed to have; and the family did not provide any FCPS official permission to provide the teacher the PII he claimed to have.
Mackin is the same principal who, just a few months prior, advised a staff member to not email a parent “your reply to her questions (no paper/email trail)”. Per the FY 2015–17 “Hot Topics” document above, SES previously was found at fault for PII-related noncompliance.
6.8.17: FCPS’ FERPA Response Includes Unredacted PII
Within its response to a 6.8.17 FERPA request I submitted, FCPS included an email with unredacted information about eight students at Silverbrook Elementary School (SES) and two students at unspecified schools. In addition, it admitted issues with its own screening practices for identifying students for its advanced academic programming (AAP).
6.29.17: FCPS Again Forwards Student PII without Prior Consent
FCPS provided me a document related to a FCPS family that submitted a complaint to the Virginia Department of Education.
10.13.17: FCPS School Board Correspondence
I emailed members of FCPS school board, advising them of FCPS' privacy breaches. Elizabeth Schultz was the only person to respond. She replied:
"Thank you for taking the time to email and document your concerns. I understand how frustrating many of these circumstances can be and look forward to getting the appropriate staff involved to review the issues to date and make a determination of the necessary plan going forward."
10.27.17: FCPS Denies Systemic Problems, Says FCPS “Takes Student Confidentiality Seriously”
After emailing FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand, I was forwarded to former Chief Academic Officer Francisco Duran. I emailed, asking him to look into the privacy violations.
10.31.17: Francisco Duran responded to my 10.27.17 email:
"As you requested, I have looked into your concern about confidential student information disclosures. Staff within the Department of Special Services are aware of two situations related to your son where there was a breach of confidentiality. The recent one of student progress monitoring data being shared through your FERPA release is an inadvertent situation where other student names were not redacted. The second situation was the incident of the teacher inadvertently emailing her spouse sensitive scheduling information. We believe these two incidents to be isolated in nature and not indicative of a systemic problem related to confidentiality. However, in response to these two events, we will be developing tighter procedures around division wide FERPA practices as well as initiating additional training on the requirement to maintain student confidentiality.
"FCPS takes student confidentiality seriously. Please know that the South County Middle School staff, including the central staff that provides support, certainly want the best for [Student] and his success."
That same day, I responded to Francisco, letting him know he'd been misinformed. He didn't respond.
11.8.17: Correspondence with Congresswoman Barbara Comstock
After not receiving a response to my privacy concerns, I contacted Congresswoman Barbara Comstock, who submitted an inquiry to FCPS on my behalf.
2018
1.16.18: FCPS’ FERPA Response Includes Unredacted PII
Within its response to a 1.16.18 FERPA request I submitted, FCPS provided me PII about a student, at an unidentified school, his struggles, and the log-in/password information for a program he was using, as well as special education screening information for a separate student at South County Middle School.
1.17.18: FCPS’ FERPA Response Includes Unredacted PII
Within its response to a 1.17.18 FERPA request I submitted, FCPS provided me an unredacted copy of the internal FCPS document titled “Hot Topics Region 4” (see mention/link in 2015–17 section above), which lists the names of other students, their lawyers, medical conditions, money paid, etc. and in which FCPS admits that it knows it has confidentiality problems and other issues. The document specifically states:
"Confidentiality of student records is a significant concern across the division. FCPS was found out of compliance by VDOE due to a confidentiality breach at Silverbrook ES, and we anticipate a noncompliant finding by VDOE again in the pending state complaint regarding Silverbrook and South County MS Schools need additional training on confidentiality of student information. While best practice is reinforced by IT, Division Counsel, and OSEPS, does not seem to be followed in day-to-day interactions. Additional training will be offered division wide, including at to Silverbrook and South County MS as part of the state complaint process corrective action. It may make sense to offer training to a wider audience.
"SLP asked all sixth grade speech students to stand to be recognized during the EOY assembly in front of entire school. Proposed resolution to parents and they declined. CAP required training for SES and letter of assurance. Maintain student confidentiality, particularly about sped status. Provided FERPA/confidentiality training to Silverbrook."
Within the same response to my FERPA request, it included unredacted medical leave information about a South County Middle School Teacher.
Related Reading: Hot Topics and "FCPS Reports List 400+ Special Education Violations; VDOE Refuses to Investigate"
1.29.18: FCPS Responds to Congresswoman Barbara Comstock’s Inquiry
Superintendent Scott Brabrand submitted a letter to Congresswoman Barbara Comstock, in which he indicated FCPS addressed its noncompliance:
"Ms. Oettinger shared her concerns about the Family Education Act (FERPA) violations by several FCPS school-based employees. These issues were addressed with each employee by their supervisors, following FCPS protocol for employee discipline. In addition, staff from the Department of Special Services met with the school team to review the violations and to develop a plan to ensure these violations are not repeated."
Yet, within days of receiving a copy of Brabrand’s letter to Comstock, FCPS provided me a copy of the unredacted “Hot Topics” record in which it admitted “Confidentiality of student records is a significant concern across the division”. The subsequent months and years of noncompliance within the same schools, and throughout the district, confirmed FCPS’ noncompliance had not been addressed.
11.7.18: FCPS Superintendent Provided Proof of Noncompliance During In-Person Meeting
I had an in-person meeting with FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand, which lasted about an hour and a half.
During our meeting, I advised him that, as of that date, FCPS had included unredacted PII for over 30 students and/or staff within its FERPA and/or FOIA responses.
Brabrand’s immediate response:
"I don't know about that."
He explained his team advised him there had been just two isolated incidents. This comment was repeated in the following weeks when FCPS School Board Member Megan McLaughlin said the same thing to me after we walked out of a school board meeting together. In both cases, I advised Brabrand and McLaughlin that they’d been incorrectly advised. In addition, I provided Brabrand a copy of “Hot Topics” as evidence.
2019
Undated 2019: FCPS Fails to Secure PII for Longfellow Middle School Students
The names and grades of 12 students at Longfellow Middle School were included in this breach. All of the students were in the special education program at Longfellow in the 2018–19 period.
According to the FCPS family that forwarded this document to Special Education Action, a former administrator at Longfellow Middle School provided it to the family in 2019, within a collection of other print documents provided to it. This would have been within months of Brabrand advising Comstock that noncompliance had been addressed.
In 2021, after reading Special Education Action articles about repeat noncompliance, the family forwarded the document to Special Education Action as additional evidence of FCPS’ noncompliance being districtwide.
Related Reading: "FERPA Violation: Longfellow Middle School Students' Privacy Violated"
5.31.19: FCPS Teacher Forwards Student PII to Teachers Union
A South County High School (SCHS) teacher forwarded PII about one of my kids to Fairfax County Federation of Teachers (FCFT).
Assistant Superintendent Jay Pearson emailed me October 16, 2019, and confirmed the noncompliance:
“I am following up on the concern you raised, both in email and during our phone conversation, that a staff member sent information to an association representative that included personally identifiable information about [redacted]. We reviewed the information forwarded to the association representative, and we agree that it should not have been forwarded.”
VDOE found FCPS in noncompliance in response to a complaint I filed on the issue.
6.2.19: FCPS Teacher Forwards Student PII to Her Personal E-Mail Account
The same SCHS teacher who forwarded PII to FCFT forwarded student PII to her private email address on three occasions this day.
6.4.19: FCPS Teacher Forwards Student PII to Teachers Union
The same SCHS teacher who previously forwarded PII about one of my kids to FCFT again emailed PII to FCFT.
Assistant Superintendent Jay Pearson emailed me October 16, 2019, and confirmed the noncompliance:
“I am following up on the concern you raised, both in email and during our phone conversation, that a staff member sent information to an association representative that included personally identifiable information about [redacted]. We reviewed the information forwarded to the association representative, and we agree that it should not have been forwarded.”
VDOE found FCPS in noncompliance in response to a complaint I filed on the issue.
6.7.19: FCPS Teacher Forwards Student PII to Her Personal E-Mail Account
The same SCHS teacher who previously forwarded student PII to her private email address again forwarded PII to her private email address.
August 2019: Teacher’s Daughter Posts Picture of Student PII to Social Media
A SES teacher failed to secure student PII. Her daughter took a picture of student PII and posted it to social media.
On 8.21.19, Assistant Superintendent Jay Pearson confirmed the inappropriate sharing of student PII in an email to me:
“I personally visited the school yesterday to address this issue. While there is an explanation as to how [redacted] was shared inappropriately, it is not excusable and not an acceptable manner for [redacted] to be shared. There will be a staff training in September on privacy and confidentiality of student information."
At this point, SES had a history of noncompliance and a principal who advised at least one staff member not to put his responses to a parent in writing, “no paper/email trail.”
10.1.19: FCPS Principal Forwards PII to Unauthorized FCPS Staff
SCHS Principal Gary Morris emailed PII about a student to SES Principal Melaney Mackin. He didn't check the email address before sending the email. Numerous emails were exchanged.
VDOE found FCPS in noncompliance in response to a complaint I filed on the issue.
10.6.19: FCPS Leadership Attempts to Keep Record from Being Responsive to FERPA or FOIA request
FCPS’ Director of Special Education Procedural Support Jane Strong e-mailed FCPS’ Dede Bailer to question my assertions related to auditory processing and data relating to a friend’s child.
Although the conversation wasn’t privileged, Strong admitted taking steps to prevent the record from being responsive to a FOIA or FERPA request:
“I am keeping John on the email thread to keep it attorney client privileged.”
10.24.19: FCPS Principal Provides Student and Staff PII to Another Parent
October 24, 2019, at 7:25 PM, SCHS Principal Gary Morris emailed me that his staff again failed to secure PII for one of my own children:
"I am writing to inform you that I was alerted today by a parent who picked up documentation from my office, that within her documentation I mistakenly included a document that had identifiable information of [Student] within it. This was totally my mistake as I somehow picked up a document with [Student's] information on it and packaged it with the information for the other parent."
That same evening, at 8:04 PM, the parent to whom Morris provided student PII that day emailed me to 1) make me aware my child's privacy had been breached and 2) advise me that she'd already contacted the school about the breach. She had submitted a FERPA request, and in response to her request, SCHS provided her 76 pages of information not related to her daughter, 12 of which were related to my child.
The parent’s messaging confirmed that Morris waited to provide notice of the breach until hours after the breach occurred, that he waited to provide notice of the breach until after it was clear a parent was aware of the breach, and it contradicted Morris’ statement that he’d only provided “a document" to her. The parent later emailed me the documents Morris gave her, which confirmed the breach was more than “a document.” My name and email address appeared on some of the documents, which allowed her to identify the family and contact information.
VDOE found FCPS in noncompliance in response to a complaint I filed on the issue.
11.1.19: FCPS School Board Member E-Mails FCPS Leadership and Legal about Breaches
I again e-mailed Fairfax County School Board (FCSB) members and FCPS leadership about the 10.24.19 breach.
FCPS School Board Members Karen Colbert Sanders emailed FCPS Superintendent and cc’d other FCPS leadership and legal, about my email. She asked for 1) verification that information I e-mailed the school board is “a factual representation”; 2) how FCPS is rectifying the situation; and 3) “guidance from legal” on how the board members “should treat this correspondence.”
Superintendent Brabrand responded:
“We will respond. We did inadvertently share some information with another parent.
“We are reviewing our process and will provide an update next week.
“John will send language to the board this afternoon.”
Brabrand failed to advise Corbett that the breach involved more than “some information”. According to the parent to whom the breach was provided. SCHS principal Gary Morris provided her 72 pages of unredacted records about students and staff, 12 of which related to one of my own kids.
Brabrand later e-mailed me:
“I will get back to you next week.”
11.8.19: FCPS Delays Breach Response, Pushes Out Two-Years Old Messaging
Brabrand failed to respond within a week, per our 11.1.19 correspondence. I followed up, again asking for a response.
Brabrand responded late in the day, indicating only my child’s privacy was breached, and then stated the same messaging Francisco Duran emailed me 10.31.17, and which Brabrand said to me in person 11.7.18:
“We take student privacy very seriously.
I responded to Brabrand with an e-mail, and correct information:
“You referenced ONE breach at SCHS—the one on 10.24.19.
EIGHT is the correct number of breaches.
Eight times in five months.
11.9.19: School Board Members Asks for Accountability
Corbett Sanders emailed Brabrand, John Foster, and Teresa Johnson:
There has to be a better way of addressing these issues Training is one part of the process the other is holding folks accountable when they fail to do what is expected.
Please let me know how you plan on addressing these concerns going forward.
11.25.19: FCPS Doesn’t Make Parent Aware of Release of Records
VDOE Due Process Hearing Officer Frank Aschmann denied FCPS seven subpoena duces tecums in relation to a due process case related to a FCPS student.
FCPS still obtained records and didn't return them until 12.10.19, even though they were subject of a motion to quash. FCPS did not make [Parent] aware that it had obtained these records. Parent stated she wasn’t made aware until after she did a request for detailed billing sheets from FCPS outside counsel Blankingship & Keith.
2020
4.1.20: FCPS Advises Staff Against Putting FERPA-Responsive Communication in Writing
FCPS has a history of training staff to avoid putting information in writing, to prevent parents from obtaining it. This is supported by SES Principal Mackin’s 2.24.16 email to a staff member, in which she advised him not to respond to a parent in writing, “No paper/email trail”.
While this isn't necessarily a cut-and-dry violation, the intention is to prevent access to information. Withholding of FERPA responsive information is a FERPA violation.
April 1, 2020, FCPS held a training session focused on COVID-19 procedural guidance. At about the 00:31:30 mark of part 2 of the video for the meeting, director of FCPS’s office of special education procedural support Dawn Schaefer and Hayfield HS assistant principal Andrew Guillen advised participants:
Andrew Guillen: Yes, Dawn. I just wanted to be clear, too. If that chat function is, um, enabled, parents could ask for a copy of it through a FERPA correct?
Dawn Schaefer: Yes, that is correct. So we really, um, strongly suggest that you turn it off.”
Andrew Guillen: Correct.
Dawn Schaefer: And remember, anything that gets typed over there gets kept.
Also of note: In the years that followed, FCPS has repeatedly attempted to limit the scope of its FERPA responses to records actually physically printed and placed within student records. Yet, in the above, Guillen and Schaefer agree that information in a chat room can be obtained via FERPA.
Additional Reading: Fairfax County Public Schools Trains Staff to Thwart FERPA Requests: Don't Put it in Writing
4.8.20: FCPS Principal Provided Unauthorized Staff Access to Student PII
SES Principal Melaney Mackin again failed to secure PII for one of my students and forwarded the educational record to a different school.
4.23.20: FCPS Fails to Secure Special Education Status PII
An Orange Hunt Elementary School teacher sent a group email to parents of students receiving special education services.
FCPS argued that, because the email addresses and the email itself didn't include specific names, that it did not violate privacy. However, anyone with a student in the specific class could identify the families involved since the emails appear in directories such as the PTA, classroom phone tree, and so on. Only parents whose students receive special education services were included, so the email provided enough PII for parents to identify students receiving special education services.
May 2020: FCPS Publishes Public Online Form for Students Taking Medication
Toward the end of the 2019-20 school year, SES created a public sign-up sheet for medication pick up.
The sign-up form was accessible by anyone with the link, which turned it into a public list of children taking medication.
Related Reading: "Dear Silverbrook ES: A Public List of Students Who Take Medicine is Not a Good Idea".
6.25.20: FCPS Found in Noncompliance for Refusing Parent Access to Student Records
VDOE issued another Letter of Findings in which it found FCPS in noncompliance of another records-related violation. VDOE specifically stated:
"LEA failed to provide Complainant/Parent an opportunity to inspect and review Student's education record within regulatory timelines."
6.26.20: FCPS Leader Suggests Changing FERPA SOP
A day after VDOE notified FCPS of another finding of noncompliance against the district, Jane Strong, director of the Office of Special Education Procedural Support, sent an email that states:
"We need to have a meeting to discuss our FERPA procedures and consider whether we will change our SOP."
Related Reading: "South County High School Breaches Student Confidentiality Again"
July 2020: FCPS Admits it Intentionally Disabled SEA-STARS Access Tracking Function
July 20, 2020, a due process hearing officer requested information about FCPS' Special Education Administrative System for Targeting and Reporting Success (SEA-STARS) program, "specifically SEA-STARS' ability to capture and maintain logs of specific data such as login information, record access and changes to student data and FCPS retention of such log records over time.”
Among other things, FCPS advised the hearing officer:
"SEA-STARS is a secure Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) product that was acquired as a result of a competitive process from Edupoint Systems, Inc. (Edupoint) and utilizes the Synergy Special Education System (SES) platform developed and owned by Edupoint. . . .
"The Synergy SES product does include the ability to track login information, record access, and changes to student data in a very detailed way. FCPS tested this functionality more than ten years ago and found that due to the volume of transactions and the associated overhead generated on the SEA-STARS servers, this functionality would seriously degrade the operational performance of the system, largely making the system unusable for authorized users. In addition, this functionality is not required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The decision was made that logging would not be enabled in the FCPS SEA-STARS system. There has been no change to this decision over the years, and logging has never been enabled in the FCPS SEA-STARS production environment."
Sec. 300.614 of IDEA requires a RECORD OF ACCESS:
"Each participating agency must keep a record of parties obtaining access to education records collected, maintained, or used under Part B of the Act (except access by parents and authorized employees of the participating agency), including the name of the party, the date access was given, and the purpose for which the party is authorized to use the records."
So, in addition to repeatedly violating the privacy of its students and staff over and over and over again, FCPS disabled tracking access to sensitive information related to children receiving special education.
August 2020: FCPS Forwards Student PII to a Parent
FCPS provided a parent spreadsheets related to over two dozen students attending Willow Oaks Elementary School. One spread sheet students who have 504 plans and another is titled "Health Conditions" and shares students’ ID numbers, their classes, their grades, their gender, and their health conditions.
Related Reading: FERPA Violation: Willow Springs Elementary School Students' Privacy Violated - Special Education Action
9.11.20: FCPS Announces Hacking
Hours after news outlets were already covering the story, FCPS announcement, that "ransomware was placed on some of [FCPS'] technology systems."
FCPS later admitted that the hackers Maze stole private information from FCPS. Drew Wilder of NBC News Channel 4 in Washington, D.C., confirmed that some of the stolen information included "personal information that includes letters regarding disciplinary actions against 15 different students and their grades".
June through October 2020: FCPS Counsels Fail to Secure PII
FCPS and two law firms with which it works, Sands Anderson and Blankingship & Keith failed to secure personally identifiable information on seven occasions in just a four-month period during 2020.
During this period, four due process complaints were filed on behalf of four different children. Their parents requested that their children's full records be provided. They didn't request unredacted information about other children (or adults). However, that's what they received.
Additional Reading: "Fairfax County Public Schools, Sands Anderson, and Blankingship & Keith Breach Privacy During Due Process".
Family #1
FCPS counsel Sands Anderson provided the family numerous unredacted documents related to children attending Willow Springs Elementary School, to include PII about students with 504s and students with health conditions.
Additional Reading: FERPA Violation: Willow Springs Elementary School Students Privacy Violated
Family #2
FCPS counsel Blankingship & Keith sent information related to a subpoena to the wrong family.
Family #3
FCPS gave this family information about students receiving special education services, who are in the class of 2023 at Robinson Secondary School.
The list provides full names, student identification numbers, classes, interventions, recommendations, and class teachers and periods for the students.
Related Reading: Robinson Secondary School Privacy Breach: FCPS Released Names, ID Numbers of Students Receiving Special Education
Family #4
This one is related to a due process complaint I filed.
Due to FCPS’ history of PII noncompliance, I expressed concerns prior to the hearing starting. FCPS insisted there wouldn’t be a problem. Yet, between the time I filed the complaint and when the hearing officer submitted her final decision, the following breaches occurred:
Former Blankingship & Keith lawyer Wesley Allen sent me thumb drives that supposedly held educational records for one of my children. He later recalled the thumb drives because he said they included unredacted information about other students. After being called out on this breach, Wesley deferred blame by referring to himself as merely a "conduit" of the information.
Former Blankingship & Keith lawyer Wesley Allen contacted me about a student who is not one of my children.
FCPS, via Blankingship & Keith, provided personal home addresses, emails, and phone numbers for FCPS staff within its evidence books.
FCPS’ Dawn Schaefer forwarded me a transcript for another family’s due process pre-hearing conference.
10.7.20: FCPS Fails to Secure PII
Kelly O'Connell, a FCPS procedural support liaison in OSEPS, breached the privacy of a student.
Additional Reading: FCPS Office of Special Education Procedural Support Has a History of Privacy Breaches
10.27.20: FCPS Fails to Secure PII
Dawn Schaefer, FCPS's coordinator of Due Process and Eligibility, breached the privacy of student and the student's family.
Additional Reading: FCPS Office of Special Education Procedural Support Has a History of Privacy Breaches
11.9.20: FCPS Fails to Secure PII
Robinson Secondary School released the names, ID numbers, and recommendations for students receiving special education.
Additional Reading: Robinson Secondary School Privacy Breach: FCPS Released Names, ID Numbers of Students Receiving Special Education
2021
1.25.21: FCPS Trains Staff Not to Put Communication in Writing
FCPS has a history of training staff to avoid putting information in writing, to prevent parents from obtaining it. While this isn't necessarily a cut-and-dry violation, the intention is to prevent access to information. Withholding of FERPA responsive information is a FERPA violation.
January 25, 2021, FCPS held a training session with special education lead teachers. At about the 00:35:20 mark, FCPS procedural support liaison Dawn Azennar advised participants:
". . . when your PSL comes to you, and kind of talks about a student, and you want to think about that continuum of services, you probably wanted to have that conversation a little earlier, rather than waiting to the last minute of the school year. So, I just think that early planning, that frequent communication with the receiving school is going to be important——and minimizing how much you put in e-mail, too. That’s another good thing to remember. Have the conversations on the phone or verbally."
2.2.21: FCPS Trains Staff Not to Put Communication in Writing
FCPS has a history of training staff to avoid putting information in writing, to prevent parents from obtaining it. While this isn't necessarily a cut-and-dry violation, the intention is to prevent access to information. Withholding of FERPA responsive information is a FERPA violation.
February 2, 2021, FCPS held a training session with special education department chairs. At about the 00:38:24 mark, Alice Lima-Whitney and FCPS PSL Michelle Waller advised participants:
Alice Lima-Whitney:
"So we went through this really, really quickly and, um, I want to remind you that all of the resources for you to look at this information, how to access it, suggestions for what and what to enter are all, um, linked here. And then lastly, I want to mention that anything that is added to the, um, worksheets is, um, accessible via FOIA or FERPA, so make sure that everything that you’re, um, putting into the sheets is specific to literacy progress, um, or needs. . . ."
Michelle Waller:
"Okay, it looks like we don’t have any questions at this time. So Alice, we’d like to thank for presenting information on the Plist. Um, you already mentioned that anything that’s typed in here can be, uh, requested by the parent through FERPA or FOIA, so remind your school teams, please, that, um, of that information."
Additional Reading: Fairfax County Public Schools Trains Staff to Thwart FERPA Requests: Don't Put it in Writing
5.6.21: FCPS Fails to Secure PII
Jane Strong, director of the Office of Special Education and Procedural Support breached a student's privacy when she emailed six documents related to the student to individuals who should not have received them. This student's privacy was previously violated when Dawn Schaefer forwarded me a due process hearing transcript related to the student.
Additional Reading: "Oops! . . . They Did It Again!; Fairfax County Public Schools Continues to Breach Student Privacy" and "Fairfax County Public Schools, Sands Anderson, and Blankingship & Keith Breach Privacy During Due Process"
5.17.21: U.S. Dept. of Education Discusses Noncompliance with FCPS
SCHS Principal Gary Morris and staff, and Due Process & Eligibility Coordinator Dawn Schaefer met with a representative of the U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO). Among other things, they spoke about the confidentiality breaches for which FCPS is at fault, and for which the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has repeatedly found FCPS in noncompliance.
5.21.21: FCPS Fails to Secure PII
Just four days after FCPS spoke with USDOE SPPO, one of the SCHS staff members in attendance violated the privacy of numerous students when she shared her computer screen during an IEP meeting, making document folders related to specific students available for viewing.
Additional Reading: "South County High School Breaches Student Confidentiality Again"
6.2.21: U.S. Dept. of Education Finds FCPS at Fault for FERPA Violation
The Student Privacy Rights Advisor for the U.S. Department of Education Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO), who spoke with FCPS on 5.17.21, emailed me that FCPS was found in noncompliance and that FCPS assured her that FCPS staff had received FERPA training:
"We therefore find the that the District take specific actions, these actions include training staff. Specifically, the District failed to obtain prior written consent before disclosing education records to another parent. We also have evidence that the District does not have a policy that would violate FERPA on a regular basis. The District has required school officials complete a FERPA training to ensure that the scope and limitations of FERPA are adhered to. The District completed such training on November 12, 2019, which satisfies the requirements of this Office. Concluding, this Office has received assurance from the District, therefore, we are closing the investigation as the District has completed the required corrective actions."
I made the advisor aware of the breaches that took place after the 11.12.19 training, to include the breach that occurred four days after she spoke with FCPS on 5.17.21.
6.24.21: FCPS Continues to Send PII to Wrong Person
June 24, 2021, Dawn Azennar, a procedural support liaison, sent an email and a letter about a FCPS student to the wrong person (a FCPS parent in this case). Although the student isn't mentioned by name, there's a fair amount of information that would make tracking down the student and family doable. I've deleted the student's birthday and the name of the student's previous school in the document below.
This isn't the first time FCPS has accidentally emailed this same parent. Just over two month's ago FCPS sent the parent an internal email in which FCPS admitted fault in relation to an investigation the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) initiated after I filed an OCR complaint. (Additional Reading: "Office of Civil Rights Opens Investigation of Fairfax County Public Schools - Special Education Action".)
Additional Reading: "Oops! . . . They Did It Again!; Fairfax County Public Schools Continues to Breach Student Privacy"
6.29.21: FCPS Forwards PII
June 29, 2021, FCPS breached the privacy of thousands of students attending South County High School, Hayfield Secondary School, Edison High School, West Potomac High School, Lake Braddock Secondary School, and FCPS Online Campus. The breach includes the students' names, their FCPS identification numbers, their FCPS email addresses, the schools at which they are enrolled, the names of their parents and/or guardians, and the email addresses of their parents and/or guardians.
June 29, 2021, FCPS provided me a thumb drive with documents it stated were in response to FERPA requests I submitted. The thumb drive includes 12 unredacted reports with personally identifiable information related to students and their families. I did not request these reports or any of the personally identifiable information.
I went back through the thumb drive provided by FCPS and found another FERPA violation.
Additional Reading: "Fairfax County Public Schools Breaches Privacy of Thousands of Students; FERPA Noncompliance Continues" and "But Wait, There's More: Fairfax County FERPA Violations Continue"
September 2021: FCPS Fails to Secure Student PII
FCPS breached the privacy of a Chesterbrook Elementary School student and family. FCPS included an unredacted document in its response to another parent's FERPA request and that parent sent it to me.
The document is a student's care card. Each year FCPS asks parents to submit a care card. The cards request home, parent, and contact information, as well as medical issues, prescription medications, medical professionals the child is seeing, and so on.
Related Reading: "Fairfax County Public Schools Violated Privacy of Chesterbrook ES Student and Family"
9.10.21: FCPS Releases Student and Staff PII
FCPS breached the privacy of staff and students in its response to a FOIA request.
Related Reading: "Fairfax County Public Schools Leaked Its Own Legal Invoices"
9.13.21: FCPS Releases Student and Staff PII
FCPS breached the privacy of staff and students in its response to a FOIA request.
9.30.21: FCPS Sues Parents and Releases Misleading Information
FCPS sued me and Debra Tisler after I published redacted versions of some of the documents released in FCPS's 9.11.21 and 9.13.21 FOIA responses.
In addition, it released messaging that resulted in the public believing its lawsuit was a preventative measure to stop additional dissemination of PII related to children and personnel files. Although the 1,316 pages released did breach the privacy of students and staff, the majority of the documents were not related to students and personnel files.
On this date, a scheduling judge ordered that the documents not be disseminated and I was forced to remove documents already published, even though they were not PII documents about children and personnel.
Within the first two weeks, FCPS spent over $115,000 on this lawsuit—years after FCPS was repeatedly found in noncompliance for failures related to securing student PII.
Additional reading: "Update on Fairfax County School Board’s Legal Action Against Parents" and "Fairfax County School Board Spent Over $115,000 on Lawsuit it Tried to Make Disappear; More Legal Invoices to Come"
10.8.21: FCPS Forwards PII to Wrong Person
Lori Hershey, a FCPS central office staff member violated the privacy of a student when she forwarded a home instruction acknowledgement letter for the student to the wrong family. The family to whom the wrong letter was sent was never advised to whom the letter related to their own child was sent, even though FCPS provided this information to parents who previously requested it.
Additional Reading: "FCPS Office of Special Education Procedural Support Has a History of Privacy Breaches" and "FCPS at Fault for Two More Privacy Breaches; Released Mental Health Information About Almost 60 Thomas Jefferson High School Students"
10.28.21: FCPS Forwards PII in Mail Merge Communication Related to Mental Health Concerns
Thomas Jefferson High School violated the privacy of almost 60 students when it sent a failed "mail merge" to the parents of the students, with a letter stating the parents were "in receipt of this letter because you indicated on the school health form that your child has an attention deficit or other mental health condition of concern."
Additional Reading: "FCPS Office of Special Education Procedural Support Has a History of Privacy Breaches" and "FCPS at Fault for Two More Privacy Breaches; Released Mental Health Information About Almost 60 Thomas Jefferson High School Students"
11.16.21: Parents Prevail in FCPS Lawsuit Against Them
Debra Tisler and I prevailed in court after FCPS sued us.
Additional Reading: "Parents and First Amendment Prevail; Judge Rules Against Fairfax County School Board" and "What is Fairfax County Public Schools Trying to Hide? These 1,316 Pages of Clues Provide Answers"
11.26.21: VDOE Finds FCPS in Noncompliance Again
VDOE found FCPS in noncompliance for FERPA violations related to FCPS's 9.10.21 and 9.13.21 breaches and stated:
". . . we are concerned that continuing complaints in this area could signal larger issues in the school division's response to matters concerning FERPA or an issue with insufficient training and/or procedures. Additional actions addressed through the state educational agency’s general supervision authority will be forthcoming."
Additional Reading: "Fairfax County Public Schools Found in Violation of FERPA; Virginia Department of Education Refuses to Find FCPS at Fault for Systemic Noncompliance"
2022
While parents continued to contact me about FCPS FERPA violations, none were willing to step forward and share the records. They feared FCPS would retaliate against them. A lack of reporting during this year doesn’t constitute a lack of breaches.
December 2022
December 2022, FCPS released two reports:
“Office of Auditor General Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Report”
“FCPS Audit Report: 22-1003 – Legal Audit with Management Responses”
“Office of Auditor General Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Report”
This report touches upon FCPS’ FOIA Office, which handles FERPA, too, and indicates it found no “gaps in the process … since corrective actions were implemented.” And yet . . . FOIA and FERPA violations would continue in the following years—despite the audits and “changes”.
“OAG presented the results of the Legal audit in consultation with an independent external counsel, Harrell & Chambliss LLP at the December 14, 2022 Audit Committee meeting.
“The audit objectives and the relevant scope period are listed below . . .
“3. Identify if there are any gaps in the FOIA process regarding request(s) of external legal counsel invoices.
“The scope period for the review of FOIA requests for external legal counsel invoices is November 2021 through December 2021 to evaluate the adequacy of corrective actions implemented by ODC and the FOIA Office.
“OAG identified three moderate risk findings related to processes and controls when legal counsel is engaged. OAG did not identify any indicators of fraud, waste and abuse related to external counsel invoices and did not identify any gaps in the FOIA request process for external counsel invoices since corrective actions were implemented. ODC concurred with the findings and recommendations.”
“FCPS Audit Report: 22-1003 – Legal Audit with Management Responses”
This report supports FCPS’ allegation that it addressed all of its FOIA and FERPA issues—even though mishandling of personally identifiable information would continue to occur in the coming years.
FOIA Request for External Counsel Invoices
Effective July 1, 2022, the FOIA Office, under the Office of Communication and Community Relations (OCCR), is responsible for documenting, tracking, coordinating, and responding to all Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA) and Family Educational Rights and Privacy (FERPA) requests received by FCPS. Before July 1, 2022, FERPA requests were handled by the Office of Special Education Procedural Support under the Department of Special Services.
If records are exempt from disclosure and need to be redacted, the FOIA Office conducts a review for student information that is exempt due to FOIA and FERPA. The FOIA Office then submits the records to the ODC for review and redaction of any other applicable exemptions such as attorney client privileged information and personnel information.
Part of OAG’s audit includes reviewing of a specific incident that happened regarding a FOIA request involving ODC as described below:
A request from a citizen for “All outsourced counsel legal services invoices and paid legal services invoices from June 1, 2020 to August 12, 2021” was received by the FOIA Office on August 13, 2021. ODC determined that approximately 1,300 pages were determined to be relevant in the initial search. On August 27, 2021, the requestor paid the advanced cost estimate and the FOIA Office advised ODC to proceed with the record search, retrieval, redaction and to produce the records to the FOIA Office for final production to the requester.
However, the responsive records (over 1,000 pages of legal invoices) were not fully reviewed by ODC. In order to meet the VFOIA’s timeline, ODC’s staff submitted the partially redacted invoices to the FOIA Office. On September 13, 2021, the FOIA Office assumed that an attorney had reviewed the records and provided the documents to the FOIA requester, unaware that legal review was incomplete. On September 15, 2021, ODC was notified by an external counsel representing one of the students whose information had not been fully redacted of this issue.
FOIA Legal Review Process and Organizational Updates
As a result of the oversight with the August 13, 2021 request, changes aimed at preventing a recurrence were made to both the FOIA Office and ODC.
1. ODC and the FOIA Office established new processes to confirm complete legal reviews prior to records release. All records released from ODC to the FOIA Office will require a two-level review by ODC (paralegal and staff attorney) and a third level review by the FOIA Office as well as confirmation, in writing, from either Division Counsel or Deputy Division Counsel that documents have been fully reviewed and are available for public release.
2. ODC and the FOIA Office implemented two new applications intended to improve the FOIA process.
a. SmartFile, a document sharing tool, has audit features available to track when records are being downloaded by requesters.
b. Logikcull, a legal ediscovery software, that aligns requests across FERPA, FOIA and legal teams.
3. ODC hired staff attorneys and an additional paralegal to assist with reviewing documents for appropriate redactions before they are released in response to FOIA. Further, four new positions were included in the approved FY23 budget within the FOIA office to assist with document review and FOIA response. The FOIA Office and the FERPA Office under Department of Special Services have also merged into one office as of July 1. This office is housed in OCCR and supported by ODC.
Just over a year later, FCPS would again state that it was making changes—even though its “changes” looked a lot like the ones it allegedly made in 2022, per the legal audits.
2023
March 2023: FCPS Releases State Testing Records and Other Student PII
FCPS released unredacted records for the 2022-23 math and reading SOL for 74 students and the reading records for 36 students. Both the math and reading records include the full names of the students, their scaled scores on the assessments, breakdowns of correct and incorrect answers, and the levels of the questions asked of the students (high, medium, or low). The reading records include the students’ state testing identifiers, the school’s name, and the delivery group for the students, too.
Additional Reading: Fairfax County Public Schools Continues to Violate FERPA; FCPS Released Personally-Identifiable Information for 110 More Students
May 1, 2023: FCPS Sends Report Cards to Wrong Parents
May 2, 2023, West Springfield High School Principal Michael Mukai emailed the WSHS community of the following:
“It was brought to my attention on May 1, 2023 that report cards were sent to the incorrect parents/guardians of 10th grade students.”
October 2023: FCPS Fails to Secure PII for Over 35,000 Students
FCPS failed to secure the privacy of over 35,000 students. For over a decade, FCPS never provided me access to in-person inspect and review of my kids records. After it lost a state complaint, FCPS was forced to provide me access to my students records. The review led to me concluding the following:
FCPS included unredacted information for more than 35,000+ students within my own kids' educational records.
Although FCPS included unredacted information for over 35,000 students within my own kids' educational records, it failed to include records from all of 2022 and 2023, as well as other years, for my own kids.
FCPS falsified information to VDOE within its responses to state complaints—and VDOE accepted FCPS’ false information without verifying it first. Although I'd complained for years that some of the educational records FCPS emailed me were inaccessible, FCPS ignored me. After filing a state complaint, VDOE stated that a review of the files indicated nothing was wrong with them. And yet, when I did the in-person review, I found the files I complained about on thumb drives and they were, indeed, inaccessible. Neither the FCPS paralegal in the room the entire time with me, nor the FCPS IT expert he brought in to help access the thumb drives, could open three of the four I'd complained the most vigorously about. The IT expert said three were saved incorrectly as shortcuts and the files weren't actually on the discs. One of the four wasn't in the educational record at all. In addition, there were recordings I'd never had access to before, as well as other recordings that were on discs that were blank or not even formatted for recording. And yet, in response to multiple state complaints, FCPS had maintained it had provided copies of all responsive records, that there was nothing wrong with the records it provided. Had it, VDOE would have known that FCPS provided false information to it.
Additional Reading:
"Exclusive: Virginia’s Fairfax Schools Expose Thousands of Sensitive Student Records", By Linda Jacobson of The 74 Million
10.30.23: FCPS Fails to Secure Student PII
FCPS failed to fully redact PII for a Centreville High School student. FCPS emailed me and VDOE this record within its response to a state complaint I filed. FCPS was late to submit this portion of its response to VDOE because, allegedly, FCPS was redacting the records in advance.
11.14.23: FCPS Again Sends Report Cards to Wrong Person
FCPS' Robinson Secondary School (RSS) emailed report cards to the wrong person—to someone other than the parent.
FCPS' response: FCPS takes privacy seriously and will be providing more training to staff.
2024
2.9.24: VDOE Finds FCPS in Noncompliance
VDOE issued a letter of finding in which it found FCPS in noncompliance regarding the 11.14.23 incident at RSS.
2.23.24: VDOE Finds FCPS in Noncompliance
VDOE issued a letter of finding in which it found FCPS in noncompliance regarding the 35,000+ instances of unredacted student PII that FCPS included within my own student’s records.
9.11.24: U.S. Dept. of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office Issues Letter to FCPS
U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) issued a letter to FCPS, advising it that SPPO received complaints filed by eight parents and two students following the Fall 2023 breaches. The letter states:
“This letter serves to notify you of the allegation and to provide you the opportunity to submit a written response. . . .
“[P]lease investigate the allegation and provide this Office a written response within four weeks after you receive this letter. If your investigation reveals that the alleged violation of FERPA likely occurred, the written response should include a summary of any corrective actions taken, and your assurance that school officials have been provided training on the requirements of FERPA.”
Multiple FOIA requests were made in an attempt to obtain FCPS’ written response to SPPO. As of March 5, 2025, FCPS has not filled the FOIA request by providing it written request to FOIA.
However, in its written response to VDOE, addressing complaints focused on FCPS’ Fall 2023 breaches, FCPS attempted to claim human error as the culprit and shift blame to the parent who identified the largest breach. In addition, it advised VDOE that it took privacy seriously.
9.27.24: VDOE FINDS FCPS in Noncompliance
VDOE issued a letter of finding in which it found FCPS in noncompliance after failed to comply with timelines related to access to student records.
11.14.24: FCPS Provides VDOE and a Parent Access to Students’ Records
According to FCPS’ 2.28.25 letter, on this date it sent a link to VDOE and to a parent, which included files for other students. VDOE made FCPS aware of the breach.
11.26.24: VDOE Finds FCPS in Noncompliance.
VDOE issued a letter of findings (LOF) in which it found FCPS in noncompliance after failed to comply with timelines related to access to student records.
12.20.24: VDOE Finds FCPS in Noncompliance
VDOE issued a letter of findings (LOF) in which it found FCPS at fault for failing to secure student records. As part of its corrective action plan (CAP), VDOE required the following:
1. Within thirty (30) days, notify the parents of the students whose records were improperly shared. The written correspondence must thoroughly detail the disclosure. Provide this office with a copy of the written correspondence for prior approval before dissemination. FCPS has informed the VDOE that it has already retained an outside expert to assess FCPS’ internal procedures regarding maintaining the confidentiality of student information, as well as its obligations to release information to appropriate parties. Once the outside expert’s evaluation is completed, provide this office with proof of its completion and any report/documentation related to the outside expert’s evaluation.
Once the outside expert provides feedback, create a new internal process for ensuring that student records are not improperly released to unauthorized parties. Submit the new internal process, policy, and/or procedure to our office for review and approval. Upon receipt, we retain the right to require additional corrective action.
2. From December 20, 2024, to December 20, 2025, share a monthly report of any FERPA violations occurring in FCPS related to confidentiality. Upon receipt, we retain the right to request additional corrective action.
3. The school division must complete the corrective action plan and submit supporting documentation to Sandra Ramsey, Ed. D. at Sandra.ramsey@doe.virginia.gov no later than the date set forth above, or if no date is specified, no more than thirty calendar days from the date of this Letter of Findings. In the event the school division anticipates that any portion of the corrective action will require more than thirty days for completion, school division must contact Sandra Ramsey, Ed. D. to provide documentation of the status of the corrective action, and to obtain approval for a revised completion schedule. Any subsequent steps required to satisfy the corrective action should be documented, and such documentation submitted to this office on a schedule to be established by the Corrective Action Specialist in consultation with the LEA. . . .
Either party to this complaint has the right to appeal these findings within 30 calendar days of our office’s issuance of the Letter of Findings. Any appeal must be received by our office no later than January 20, 2024.
It should be noted that an appeal by either party does not obviate the LEA from completing the requested Corrective Action Plan by January 20, 2024.
FCPS did NOT complete the CAP by January 20, 2024.
2025
1.20.25: FCPS Fails to Implement Corrective Action Plan
Under VDOE’s 12.20.25 findings, FCPS was required to “notify the parents of the students whose records were improperly shared” by this date—even if it intended to appeal the decision.
FCPS did not implement the CAP.
1.21.25: FCPS Attempts to Avoid Transparency
A day after FCPS was required to notify families about the breach—and the day after its deadline to appeal—it submitted an appeal to VDOE.
FCPS didn’t dispute VDOE’s findings. Instead, it claimed there was no breach because it couldn’t prove the parent accessed the records—like saying a tree didn’t fall because no one heard it. But the violation was FCPS’s failure to secure the records, not whether they were opened.
FCPS again blamed “individual human error,” calling it inevitable in a large system. Attorney John Foster said:
“FCPS has already added steps to its document-checking process... Human error... is unfortunately inevitable.”
This excuse is tired. FCPS has claimed process improvements for years—with no results. There’s no room for “human error” when it comes to student records.
Foster also argued against notifying impacted families:
“By... taking ODRAS’ guidance... FCPS believes this matter has been properly handled without causing fear and confusion in the FCPS parent community.”
Yet previous guidance didn’t stop the violations. Now it’s being used to justify secrecy.
Finally, FCPS continued to misrepresent the 2023 incident when I discovered unredacted records for 20,000+ students in my child’s file. John Foster wrote:
“After the prior incident involving another parent wrongfully removing records from FCPS property...”
Foster knows I didn’t “wrongfully” take anything. FCPS told me the records were mine, helped me copy them, and knew I was taking them home. Superintendent Michelle Reid confirmed this during a December 2023 meeting we had to discuss what happened.
Instead of deflecting blame, avoiding transparency, and excusing repeated failures, FCPS leadership should ask why it still isn’t in compliance. “Human error” is no longer a valid answer.
2.28.25: FCPS Issued Letters Notifying Parents and Students of Another Breach
On this date—more than three months after FCPS failed to secure records again—FCPS sent notification letters about the 11.14.24 breach. Special Education Action reviewed two letters—identical except for student-specific details. Both involved failures to secure sensitive due process records.
In the letter, Dawn Schaefer wrote,
“FCPS is committed to safeguarding student privacy and confidential data, and we are reviewing our practices and the types of technology we use to share electronic links to avoid human mistakes like this in the future.”
Yet in 2022, FCPS claimed it was already implementing new record systems, hiring more staff, and restructuring offices to prevent exactly this.