Collier County School Board declines settlement granting email addresses to advocacy group

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. - The Collier County Public School Board has declined a proposed settlement with the Florida Citizens Association, a conservative education advocacy group, which would have granted them access to parent email addresses.

In 2023, the group requested a list of parental email addresses from the district, which was denied by the school board due to state and federal student privacy laws. The group then filed a complaint in court, leading to a settlement that was scheduled for approval.

The school board, after hearing from frustrated parents and other members of the public, unanimously denied the settlement and will continue the debate in court.

"Passes unanimously so... we will be heading to trial," said a member of the school board.

The decision was met with applause from the audience at Wednesday's Collier County School Board meeting. The school board chair emphasized the importance of protecting parental privacy rights.

"We're talking about parents' information, something that they trust to us," said Stephanie Lucarelli, Chair of the Collier County School Board.

The Florida Citizens Association initially requested the list of parent emails from the district in 2023 to distribute their newsletters. When the board denied the request, the group filed a legal complaint.

"This is the first time that we have ever been sued for that information," said Lucarelli. "The school board had come to a consensus on a settlement agreement, but happily, that was voted down."

If approved, the school board would have had to pay $30,000 in legal fees and give parents a 30-day window to opt-out of having their email addresses shared. All who spoke at public comment opposed the settlement.

"We teach our kids to stand up to bullies, and I think we should model that behavior," said Marc Carestia, a parent with two kids in the school district, expressing his concern over sharing parent emails.

"There's no control over what they do with it. You know, basically a promise that they're not going to share our information with anybody," Carestia said.

The settlement would have restricted the group from sharing the emails with anyone else and required an 'unsubscribe' option.

Keith Flaugh, CEO and founder of the Florida Citizens Association, stated they have a right to the public records they requested.

"It was the School Board that offered to settle the case and set the terms of the proposed settlement, so we're surprised they ultimately decided not to approve their own offer," Flaugh said.

The school board's attorney mentioned that taking this to court could be a financial risk. However, Lucarelli emphasized the importance of maintaining parents' trust.

"I do truly hope that a judge will you know see the reasonings behind this," Lucarelli said. "We are going to fight to retain any information that parents give to us."

The school board attorney estimates the trial could begin around March. Meanwhile, the Florida Citizens Association is meeting with their legal team to discuss next steps and remains confident in their legal position.