Collier County public school parents can rest assured that their email addresses are safe. For now.
In a reversal of a previous consensus reached in executive session, the Collier County Board of Education will not release parents’ email addresses to the Florida Citizens Alliance, a conservative group that advocates for home schooling and private Christian-based schools.
Although it had been slated for approval on its consent agenda, school board members unanimously rejected a settlement offer from the Florida Citizens Alliance, a group harshly critical of public education.
The settlement would have cost the system $30,000 in attorney fees and would have released parents’ email addresses to the conservative education advocacy group so it could send parents its newsletter.
The issue goes back nearly three years, when Florida Citizens Alliance made a public records request for school directory information. The district refused, citing public education privacy law. In October last year, an arbitrator ruled that this information was public record and should be released. The district appealed the ruling. Florida Citizens Alliance’s settlement offer followed.
At Wednesday’s board meeting, eight speakers strongly opposed settling, urging the board to let the matter go to the courts. Board chair Stephanie Lucarelli said she had received several dozen texts, emails and calls opposing it as well. She feared loss of parents’ trust and cited her own lack of trust in the Florida Citizens Alliance. Board member Kelly Mason also explained her change of heart.
"My biggest concern was about the financial side of things, like, we want to be fiscally responsible, and I know how litigation can be," she said. "I think the comment that really kind of changed kind of my position, and I think you all know our position up here is against releasing this information, but Mr. (Marc) Carestia said about standing up to bullies, and I'm sorry, but I'm one of those people that have always stood up against bullies, and I think we have to do that here."
Board attorney Robert Meyers confirmed that it would now be up to a judge to interpret Florida’s public records law as it relates to releasing parents’ emails and student directory information.
