UPDATE: Late this afternoon, Franklin County’s Common Pleas Court Judge Beatty granted OEA’s request for a temporary restraining order. The TRO prevents the release of residential (home) addresses, home telephone numbers and personal email addresses of individuals licensed by the Ohio Department of Education. Judge Hogan has been assigned to hear the case.
OEA Takes Action To Stop The Release Of Personal Information As Requested By The Ohio Republican Party
COLUMBUS — November 13, 2009 — Today, the Ohio Education Association (OEA) filed a temporary restraining order in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas to prevent the release of the personal information of licensed Ohio education employees as kept by the Ohio Department of Education.
In its written public records request to the Ohio Department of Education, the Ohio Republican Party seeks the following:
“All contact information for teachers, principals and school support staff, whose records are retained in the licensure database of the Ohio Department of Education. This information should include full name, home mailing address, position or title, email address, home phone number, school at which they work and county and school district in which the school is located for both public and private educational institutions.”
If granted, the temporary restraining order will delay the release of this information until a court can rule on whether or not the release of such personal information is subject to disclosure under Ohio public records law.
“Our commitment to Ohio education employees is the compelling reason for our action today,” said OEA president Patricia Frost-Brooks. “The protection of members’ personal information is of utmost importance to OEA. It is our association’s position that such information is not a public record under Ohio law.”
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The Ohio Education Association (ohea.org) represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.
CONTACT: Michele Prater
614-227-3071; cell 614-378-0469, praterm@ohea.org
