Parents and the superintendent of schools expressed displeasure last week that a list of public school students, along with their student ID numbers and homerooms, was used by Mayor Anthony Russo’s campaign to mail out campaign literature.
The pro-Russo postcards arrived at parents’ homes bearing labels that included the students’ names, ID numbers (which are only used internally within the school) and homeroom numbers. The post card touts Russo’s record and depicts Sinatra Park. It says, “Paid for by the Russo Team 2001.”
A spokesman for the state Department of Education said last week that they are investigating to determine the legality of using such a list for campaign purposes. Superintendent of Schools Pat Gagliardi said Thursday that until last week, anyone needing a list of students for a school function (for invitations to a school play or something similar) could get one from the Board of Education office just by asking. But because of the campaign mailer incident, he said, he has changed the policy so that all requests must go through him, and the lists will only be given out for educational purposes.
Bob DeSando, the chief spokesman for the New Jersey Commissioner of Education, confirmed last week that there is an ongoing investigation into the matter, but would not comment on the specifics.
The relevant part of the NJ Department of Education Code states, “Organizations, agencies and persons from outside the school [can access pupil records] if they have written consent of the parent or adult pupil. Agencies and persons shall not transfer pupil record information to a third party without the written consent of the parent or adult pupil.” The code defines “pupil record” as “information related to an individual pupil gathered within or outside the school system, regardless of the physical form in which it is maintained. Essential in this definition is the idea that any information which is maintained for the purpose of second party review is considered a pupil record.”
Councilman David Roberts, who is opposing Russo in Tuesday’s mayoral election, wrote a letter to the commissioner of education last week. The letter stated that, “After receiving dozens of phone calls from worried parents, I am writing to bring to your attention serious allegations of ethical misconduct and repeated violations of a minor’s privacy by the Hoboken Board of Education.” Roberts asked that the attorney general and commissioner of education “intervene immediately in order to prevent such egregious activities from happening again.”
Mayor Russo would not confirm last week that he or the heads of his campaign knew that the postcards would be sent out using student information. He would only say, “Maybe people who work together, who work in a facility or school, and they know of certain students, but they don’t know of the parents or the address, maybe some of them in an organized way went to the superintendent’s office and got addresses. I don’t know. There is no organized effort to do any of this stuff. My whole life, I’ve dealt with kids.” (Russo was a special education teacher before he became mayor.)
Russo said that the student ID numbers and homerooms probably were used on the mailing labels “inadvertently.”
“I have worked with kids my entire life and would never do anything that would put their safety into peril,” Russo said.
Gagliardi said that parents should not worry about the student ID numbers, as they are only used internally by the schools and have no specific meaning. The school computers containing student records are not accessible by the Internet.
Russo further said, “[Robert’s campaign] is just trying to get a story out of this. That is all they’re doing.”
More accusations
Roberts’ Hoboken United team also accused Russo’s campaign manager, David Anthony, who also happens to be the president of the Board of Education, of perpetrating a “violation of the public trust.”
Anthony vehemently denied this Thursday. “They are trying to politicize something that is a non-issue,” he said. “Those lists were given out to any group that requests them. [Hoboken United] could have had a copy if they wanted one. Organizations like the Little League and cheerleaders request lists like this regularly. It’s a common practice.”
Anthony said that it was a mistake to send out the postcards with the ID numbers on them.
The postcards are labeled “To the parent/guardian of [blank]” and contain, just above the name, the child’s school ID number and homeroom number.
Some parents expressed concern last week.
“I’m very worried about this,” said parent of two Hoboken school children and Brandt Middle School PTO President Fran Kearns, who took the postcard to Roberts. “I’ve always assumed that my children’s records were private, and [the possibility] that others may have access their records scares me. I want to know how and why they would insist on using this confidential information on a political flyer of all things.”
Another parent who wished to stay anonymous also felt concerned about the ID numbers being placed on the post cards. “I worry about the safety of my kids,” said the parent of two. “Can they get to their health records or grades or whatever? I don’t know, and when it come to your kids you’re always going to err on the side of caution and worry.”
Gagliardi said he did not like the idea of using school information for political purposes, and that parents had complained to him about the use of the student ID numbers on the label.
“I don’t think it is a good idea for anybody to use lists for any reason that’s not totally school related,” he said Thursday. “We’re certainly not happy that the list got out and was used for anything but educational purposes.” Gagliardi said that as of Monday he has tightened the clamp on giving out these types of lists. “We didn’t change the rule,” he said. “We tightened it. Any list of students that goes out needs to come through me. Prior to [this week], I’m under the assumption that anyone who wanted a list of kids in the past, we gave it to them. Now we don’t do that anymore.”
Gagliardi said that he did not know who requested the list, and whether it was a faculty member, a parent, or another person. He said that he has turned it over to the legal department to help uncover that information. Gagliardi said that the students’ health records and grades are not associated with the ID number.