School Bus Videotapes Not Released

By Gina Colonette

KCRG reported that in Jeffereson City, Missouri parents were once again not allowed to view school bus videotape of a fight that occurred. The fight is still under investigation and more students need to be questioned. According to Jefferson city school officials it is against the law to allow the parents of students to view the footage from videos taken on school buses.

Student privacy laws are in affect when parents are not allowed to view school bus videotape. Jefferson City Public Schools spokesman David Luther says “We have student privacy laws that kick into effect because you're going to have more than just their child on that tape and so we can't do that.”

According to Eldon’s superintendent Matt Davis, the video cameras on school buses and in schools are law enforcement records not public education records, therefore the school can deny parents from seeing them.

According to KRCG, this is the second time in the past few months that parents have not been allowed to see the school bus videotapes of their children. According to ABC News, this type of incident also occurred in Colorado six months ago when the father of a suspended 13-year-old boy tried to get the tape of his son “using self defense”. Once again the father was denied access to the tapes because of privacy laws.