School Examines Releasing Bombing Suspect's Records
Officials at The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth are seeking guidance from the U.S. Department of Education on how to legally release the student records of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect and the three other students charged with allegedly helping him cover up the crime. Officials want to know whether or not the school would violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) by releasing the records to the media and general public.
Education Team Co-chair Paul Lannon says the school is doing the right thing by seeking this guidance from the Department of Education. FERPA generally requires the written consent of a student to release records and Mr. Lannon says that exceptions to this relate to subpoenas and health and safety emergencies.
"They want to expose [these records] to the general public. That's different. That's really unprecedented in my experience," Mr. Lannon said.