Collier County judge blocks group's request for school parent emails

NAPLES, Fla. (WINK) — A Collier County judge denied a conservative education advocacy group's request that the school board share email addresses in the district's database.

The Florida Citizens Alliance requested email addresses from staff, parents, and the public. The school board and the group have been going back and forth in court since 2023.

"I don't want anybody calling me. I don't want anybody emailing me without my permission," a Collier County parent named Julie said. "It's about consent. And who does this group think that they are, feeling that they have a right to even contact me at all."

Parents are frustrated as the Florida Citizens Alliance fights the School Board of Collier County Public Schools for access to parents, neighbors, and staff email addresses.

"I don't think any parent thinks when they are registering their student for school and providing their contact information that they would ever have to worry that we were going to be giving it to an outside source," Stephanie Lucarelli, school board chair for Collier County Public Schools, said.

The Florida Citizens Alliance requested a list of parents' email addresses within the district in 2023. The school board denied the request, citing state and federal privacy laws. The group then filed a complaint in court.

"It's not the first time that an organization has tried to access emails or directory information, but we have told them no, because it would break the law for us to give that information out, and they accepted it and went on their merry way," Lucarelli said. "This organization, unfortunately, has decided to take us to court over it and drain resources away from our students and teachers."

A settlement was reached in February, but it fell through when parents and neighbors opposed it. The parties met in court this month, and the school board won.

Florida Citizens Alliance says it's not over until it's over. WINK News reached out to the group, and they told her they do not wish to comment because they plan to appeal the judge's ruling.

"If they have the money to hire attorneys to sue our school board, who is doing what they should do, which is protecting our right to privacy, then they certainly have enough money to advertise for their schools, their organization," Julie said.

"Our responsibility is to educate kids not to give out their parents' information," Lucarelli said. "And I think what everybody needs to know is that this school district will not be bullied into violating the law or putting our families at risk."

The school board says it's a waiting game as this appeal draws out. For now, parents will not have to worry about their information being released.