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Litchfield parent brings complaint to feds |
| A parent alleging that her son, a Center School student, was struck by another student on a school van two years ago filed a complaint on the matter with the U.S. Department of Education. Ann Egan issued the complaint in 2009 and in it alleges that school officials violated the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act by failing to provide her with a report on the incident. Egan spoke about her case at the Board of Education's meeting last week. She demanded the termination of Superintendent of Schools Deborah Wheeler and Business Manager Pat Buccitelli for failing to give her a copy of the report and asked for an apology. After the meeting, Wheeler said the complaint has been addressed as required by the Department of Education and should be dismissed. Wheeler in May sent a memo to school officials explaining FERPA protocol. Egan's complaint was based on her unsuccessful effort to gain a copy of a bus conduct report on the incident involving her son and another student on Sept. 3, 2008. At the time she was told it didn't exist, which was a mistake, according to Wheeler. The report was dated Sept. 11, 2008 and signed by Buccitelli. Under FERPA, Egan should have been given a copy of the report within 45 days, Department of Education Family Policy Compliance Office acting director Ellen Campbell wrote in an April 20, 2010 letter to Wheeler. Although the report did exist, it couldn't have been given to Egan because it contained confidential information about the student who allegedly struck her son, according to Wheeler. |
