CMS sends email to hundreds of parents including personal, medical information of nearly 3,000 students

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools sent an email to hundreds of parents that included person and medical information of nearly 3,000 students.

The CMS email was to confirm all students who were enrolled in the After School Enrichment Program (ASEP). It was sent out the afternoon of August 6 and went to hundreds of parents.

The email included a spreadsheet titled “confirmed sites enrollment” of each student enrolled in the ASEP program including medical information such as allergies, conditions including diabetes, ADHD, celiac disease, etc.

More than 2,900 students are on the spreadsheet.

The email read:

The email also included which site students were attending, home and cell phone numbers for parents, and if the student’s fees were paid.

WBTV reached out to CMS for a statement Tuesday and received a response from Eve White, Executive Director of Communications of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

White’s response read:

CMS is aware that some families of students enrolled in the CMS After School Enrichment Program (ASEP) received an incorrect attachment via email. The email distribution was intended to share a welcome letter; however, some families received instead a spreadsheet that included student and family data. It is important to note that this was not a security breach or hack into a database or system. The cause was human error with the incorrect attachment shared with some ASEP families. Many families received the correct attachment. Upon learning of the distribution of the mistaken attachment, CMS began corrective measures by reaching out to all families on the distribution list and requesting that the spreadsheet be deleted immediately by all those who received it by mistake. Unfortunately, a family recipient chose to share the email and its attachment with news media. We have been made aware that media has contacted some families. The spreadsheet included information for approximately 2900 students, and consisted of student name, parent name, parent contact information, school attended, student grade level, status of fees paid (yes or no) and, in some cases, information regarding student allergies and/or medications. All CMS employees are required to participate in annual training on proper handling and distribution of student information under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This incident has resulted in a review of email distribution procedures to ensure that sensitive information is not mistakenly shared.
Eve White, Executive Director of Communications of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

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