DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

Open records request goof exposes personal info of 36,000 Poway USD students and their parents

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Dissent

Yet another breach in response to an open records/freedom of information request, this one affecting 36,000 Poway Unified School District  students in California. CBS reports:

The privacy breach leaked information about every student in the district and it included: medical information, home addresses, nicknames, birthdates, student grades, test scores and parents’ sensitive occupations.

The San Diego Union-Tribune provides a bit more detail on the data types:

The data included children’s names, nicknames, addresses, phone numbers, hearing and vision exam results, dates of birth, language fluency, academic test results and occupation of parents, according to the woman who received the data, Gabriela Dow.

Gabriela Dow told CBS News 8 she received the sensitive information after an open records request. Dow is a parent and a member of the district education technology advisory committee.

Reportedly, Social Security numbers were not included.

All told, about 70,000 people had personal information exposed:

A month later, she received the documents she asked for, and much more — a spreadsheet containing 36,444 rows of data on information for everyone connected to the Poway district. Including parents, the data contained information about 70,000 people.

Now here’s a complaint that will likely go nowhere:

Dow filed a complaint with the district attorney’s office citing violation of the “Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act,”

What can a district attorney do about a violation for FERPA?

Exactly.

No related posts.

Category: Education SectorExposureU.S.

Post navigation

← MO: After school closes its doors, personal student records remain inside, unprotected
Intermedix data breach class action case dismissed →

1 thought on “Open records request goof exposes personal info of 36,000 Poway USD students and their parents”

  1. Jordana Ari says:
    May 17, 2016 at 10:12 am

    That is a big district with over 70,000 people having their information exposed.

    How many data breaches does this make for school districts this year? I feel like its in the hundreds on this point.

    Also, in regards to the DA filing a complaint citing FERPA violation, no comment. That is self explanatory.

Comments are closed.

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • Air Force Employee Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Disclose Unlawfully Classified National Defense Information
  • UK police arrest four in connection with M&S, Co-op and Harrods cyberattacks (1)
  • At U.S. request, France jails Russian basketball player Daniil Kasatkin on suspicion of ransomware conspiracy
  • Avantic Medical Lab hacked; patient data leaked by Everest Group
  • Integrated Oncology Network victim of phishing attack; multiple locations affected (2)
  • HHS’ Office for Civil Rights Settles HIPAA Privacy and Security Rule Investigation with Deer Oaks Behavioral Health for $225k and a Corrective Action Plan
  • HB1127 Explained: North Dakota’s New InfoSec Requirements for Financial Corporations
  • Credit reports among personal data of 190,000 breached, put for sale on Dark Web; IT vendor fined
  • Five youths arrested on suspicion of phishing
  • Russia Jailed Hacker Who Worked for Ukrainian Intelligence to Launch Cyberattacks on Critical Infrastructure

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • How to Build on Washington’s “My Health, My Data” Act
  • Department of Justice Subpoenas Doctors and Clinics Involved in Performing Transgender Medical Procedures on Children
  • Google Settles Privacy Class Action Over Period Tracking App
  • ICE Is Searching a Massive Insurance and Medical Bill Database to Find Deportation Targets
  • Franklin, Tennessee Resident Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison on Multiple Cyber Stalking Charges
  • On July 7, Gemini AI will access your WhatsApp and more. Learn how to disable it on Android.
  • German court awards Facebook user €5,000 for data protection violations

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.