Can someone on a school committee put related info on their personal website?

[TreeTiger]

A friend has recently informed me about a situation which occurred where an officer on a school parents committee (whose function is to promote the interests of the pupils and inform/involve parents of said pupils) set up a personal website.

The website contained a link to contact details – address, phone, email – of the other committee members; also a link to minutes of previous meetings. No permission was given to the individual to do this. I thought that was bad enough, but apparently this website also had a link where information was given of any insurance claims in the recent past, not saying specifically what the claim was, but giving the name and address of the minor(s) involved.

As soon as this situation came to light, the person concerned was told by the school to shut the website down immediately. The question now is what happens next.

At the least, I think the individual should resign straight away and hand back any committee information they hold, and also delete any files they may have on computer and give a written assurance that this has been done. As I understand it though, once information has been put out on the internet, it is virtually impossible to remove it.

This has happened in a pretty close community and it is feared that if it became public there could be huge repercussions in social terms.

Has anyone any advice as to how this could be dealt with quietly but firmly?

 

[harvey]

The information could be cached also. Google some of the information that was on the site.

 

[RainyDay]

THat's a strange one. The other committee members could be on dodgy ground in requesting resignation unless the person has breached some policy or protocol. Was there any briefing given to committee members about confidentiality?

Seeking resignation for a 'first offence' seems harsh to me. Does the person admit their error?

 

[stir crazy]

The information could be cached also. Google some of the information that was on the site.

Not only is information stored in search engine caches*long*after*you*might*think*it*gone but*it*could* also*be backed up here :



http://waybackmachine.org


















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[TreeTiger]

Thank you for your comments.

The information could be cached also. Google some of the information that was on the site.

I don't know what the site is, my friend was just asking me what I thought about the situation, and how they could resolve it quickly and if possible quietly. However my friend is also concerned that information once on the web is very difficult to remove, and as some of this relates to children it is quite upsetting. I can't understand how someone thinks it's a good idea to make all this information publicly available, without even a password required to access their website.

THat's a strange one. The other committee members could be on dodgy ground in requesting resignation unless the person has breached some policy or protocol. Was there any briefing given to committee members about confidentiality?

Seeking resignation for a 'first offence' seems harsh to me. Does the person admit their error?

Regarding confidentiality, the parents run the school insurance scheme and this is strictly confidential information; however this person decided to put the names and addresses of children who had claimed against the policy up on the internet. Meetings of any committee I have ever been on have been treated as confidential, but this person posted the minutes on their website. I would personally be very annoyed if anyone put up a website with my name, address, home phone, mobile number, email address without my permission and that is what this individual has done.
Surely some of this has to be illegal?

No one wants to actually follow a legal route, but if any of this person's action have broken a law, the committee would like to advise the individual of that. As regards a first offence, I think anything the person has undertaken to do has left a trail of disaster in their wake. The committee just can't wait to be shot of them!

 

[webtax]

It's staggering that someone on a school committee would put personal information about the children on a website. They should be removed from the committee immediately, as a person showing such wilful disregard for confidential information should have no involvement with the school.

If they need any encouragement to resign tell them that you will be informing www.dataprotection.ie of their actions.

 

[RainyDay]

Regarding confidentiality, the parents run the school insurance scheme and this is strictly confidential information; however this person decided to put the names and addresses of children who had claimed against the policy up on the internet. Meetings of any committee I have ever been on have been treated as confidential, but this person posted the minutes on their website. I would personally be very annoyed if anyone put up a website with my name, address, home phone, mobile number, email address without my permission and that is what this individual has done.
Surely some of this has to be illegal?

If you want to check the legality, consult a solicitor and/or the Data Protection Commissioner. However, I would still believe that there is an onus on the committee to set clear terms of reference for all members, including confidentiality requirements. Assuming that everyone has the same understanding of this has obviously been ineffective.

 

[Mar123]

This is very serious. I would look for professional legal advice on what the best course of action. There is also the possibility of a parent taking out action against the school committee, as a member of that committee has posted details of a minor without prior permission.

 

[ajapale]

Do members of such school committees get any training/briefing on the role duties and responsibilities of membership?

Personally I would not get all wound up about getting the resignation of the individual involved but rather I would put in place clear operating guidelines to prevent such an occurance in the future.