Critical parents accuse US school authorities of taking targeted action against them. To prove this, a mother wanted to view data and received a large bill.
Were secret lists or files kept about ‘annoying’ parents? This was exactly the question Elena Diverno of Rochester, Michigan, wanted to explore. And not without reason: in 2020 the mother criticized the weak Corona learning measures at school.
$190,000 in damages
The school district’s response was swift: the woman’s employer was contacted, and Diverno was fired. She sued and the court awarded her $190,000 in damages. It also came to light that the school district apparently deliberately collected data on parents.
“Right to inspect files”
Elizabeth Clair, also a critic, then insisted on her legal ‘right to inspect files’. She called for the authority’s email and WhatsApp traffic from the second half of 2020 to be searched for incriminating words.
What she received instead was a hefty bill from school district coordinator Matthew McDaniel for $33 million. That’s how much it would cost to have his employees sort through the 21,514,288 emails — and without a $16.5 million deposit, nothing would happen, McDaniel says.
Class action lawsuit planned
Now Elizabeth Clair is filing a class action lawsuit: “We are being openly fought against, showing that the school district has something to hide!”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
