A Chattanooga man’s request for information about all 46,000-plus students in Hamilton County public schools Thursday spread faster than gossip.
Parents first learned about the request when district officials informed them via email they were compelled by law to release the information, then later were told the information would not be released until all legal options were exhausted. Finally, the man who sought the information withdrew his request.
But many parents were taken aback. They burned up the phones of school officials and elected leaders and took to social media to vent their confusion and anger. It was the perfect media talker.
On Friday, questions lingered about whether such a request was proper, whether anything could be done about such requests or whether the issue was a bit of a tempest in a teapot.
Deborah Fisher, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, said everyone involved needed to “take the temperature down” and “look at the whole picture.”