Paul Brown v. Taunton, City of - Public Schools (SPR 20250563)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records March 10, 2025 SPR25/0563 John J. Cabral Superintendent of Schools Taunton Public Schools 215 Harris Street Taunton, MA 02780 Dear Superintendent Cabral: I have received the petition of Paul Brown appealing the nonresponse of the Taunton Public Schools (School) to a request for public records. See G. L. c. 66, § 10A; see also 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). On February 5, 2025, Mr. Brown requested the following: [1] [An identified individual’s] educational records as defined by law, including but not limited to academic records (grades, transcripts, and progress reports); attendance records and logs; disciplinary records and incident reports; standardized test scores and assessments; special education records (if applicable), including IEPs, 504 Plans, evaluations, and assessments; health records maintained by the school; teacher comments, reports, and informal observations; enrollment, transfer, and withdrawal documentation; communication logs between school personnel and myself or other parties; consent forms for activities involving [an identified individual] [2] [A] complete copy of all records that the Taunton Public School District holds concerning me, including but not limited to: my academic records (grades, attendance, and transcripts); disciplinary records and incident reports; any documents related to special education services, evaluations, or assessments (if applicable); records of correspondence between myself and school officials; records of any meetings or communications in which I am mentioned or involved; any other documents or records that reference or pertain to me [3] [S]chool district policies and reports: policies related to student discipline, attendance, special education, and bullying prevention; school improvement plans, strategic plans, and annual reports; district-wide and school-level performance data, including standardized testing scores, graduation rates and One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, Massachusetts 02108 • (617) 727-2832 • Fax: (617) 727-5914 sec.state.ma.us/pre • pre@sec.state.ma.us

John J. Cabral SPR25/0563 Page 2 March 10, 2025 other accountability metrics (with student information redacted as required by law); documents regarding curriculum development and instructional materials [4] [A]dministrative and financial records: school committee meeting minutes, agendas, and recordings; budgetary records, including approved annual budgets, expense reports, and financial audits; contracts and agreements with vendors, employee unions, and other entities; records of staff salaries and compensation, as required by M.G.L. Chapter 66 [5] [C]ompliance, inspection and training records: building inspection reports (e.g., fire safety, health inspections); compliance reports for federal and state education requirements; records related to staff training and credentials, including training on safety, bullying, and restraint/seclusion policies; data and reports on any incidents involving restraint or seclusion, as well as the frequency of their use [6] [R]ecords of complaints and Investigations: records of formal complaints filed by parents, staff, or community members; bullying complaint logs and resolutions (de-identified as necessary); investigations into school misconduct, as permitted under public records laws[.] Claiming to not yet have received responsive records, Mr. Brown petitioned this office and this appeal, SPR25/0563, was opened as a result. Despite being notified of the opening of this appeal, it remains unclear whether the School has provided a response. Accordingly, the School is ordered to provide Mr. Brown with a response to his request, provided in a manner consistent with this order, the Public Records Law and its Regulations within ten (10) business days. A copy of any such response must be provided to this office. It is preferable to send an electronic copy of the response to this office at pre@sec.state.ma.us. Mr. Brown may appeal the substantive nature of the School’s response within ninety (90) days. See 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). Sincerely, Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records cc: Paul Brown