FERPA Q&A

Q: When does the health and safety emergency exception to FERPA apply?

A: FERPA allows school officials to share private student information in the event of a health or safety emergency if disclosure is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals. It is limited to the time period of the emergency, and can’t be a blanket disclosure of information. Whether a disclosure is needed is on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the whole circumstances, and there needs to be a “significant” threat to health and safety. Contact Stacey Tidball (tidball@umn.edu) for questions.