FOIA Response: Records Related to Office for Civil Rights Monitoring of Case 11-21-5901, for the Period of January 1, 2024, to May 8, 2025
November 2022, Office for Civil Rights found Fairfax County Public Schools at fault for violations during COVID "closures". OCR's resolution agreement with FCPS included monitoring.
Agency:
Fairfax County Public Schools
Fee:
$875, original quote; $210, quote for amended FOIA request.
FOIA Filer:
Callie Oettinger
FOIA Request:
“OCR is monitoring FCPS' implementation of OCR's November 2022 resolution agreement with FCPS.
“Please provide all documents, records, and/or anything else FCPS staff, FCPS officials, and/or FCPS providers provided to OCR, specifically for OCR's monitoring of FCPS' implementation of the November 2022 resolution agreement.
“Dates should cover November 2022 to April 10, 2025.”
Amended Request:
After FCPS provided a $875 quote for the original request, the request was narrowed to the following:
“Please narrow the timeframe to January 1, 2024, to May 8, 2025”
FOIA Request and Time Period:
April 30, 2025: FOIA request filed
May 8, 2025: FCPS provided a quote for $875 to fulfill the request. The request was amended and refiled the same day.
May 12, 2025: FCPS submitted revised quote ($210) for amended complaint. $210 was paid the same day to FCPS.
May 15, 2025: FCPS confirmed receipt of the $210 payment and claimed it needed an additional seven days to provide its response.
May 27, 2025: The extended deadline (accounting for Memorial Day on May 26) passed without a full response.
May 28, 2025: FCPS provided what it alleged was a full response.
May 30, 2025: FCPS was advised its response was incomplete.
June 5, 2025: FCPS said it would investigate.
June 13, 2025: FCPS stated that additional records may exist and asked if “you would be agreeable to extend the date for review and production on phases schedule beginning on June 17, 2025.”
June 15, 2025: I advised FCPS I would be agreeable to its extension request if it provide a full response, at no additional cost, for the period of November 2022 to June 17, 2025.
June 17, 2025: FCPS provided another response and claimed that, “Upon investigation, additional documents in links and attachments were located within your original production. Those documents are being provided to you now at no additional cost.” FCPS never addressed why, just a few days earlier, it expressed the need for a phased approach to finishing the request.