Officials expose DC students’ personal information online

WASHINGTON – A spreadsheet detailing sensitive personal information about 2,000 students in the D.C. Public Schools was publicly available online for months.

Washington city councilmember David Grosso tells news outlets that school officials shouldn’t have given his office the spreadsheet posted on his website.

The file saved in February contained names, dates of birth, housing status, school, grade level and whether the student was eligible for special education. School officials gave it in response to questions from Grosso’s education committee.

Grosso says he removed it and alerted the school system after a student spotted it early last month.

DCPS Deputy Chancellor Amy Maisterra says steps are being taken so it doesn’t happen again.

Releasing such information violates federal law, but authorities are reluctant to impose the penalty of removing federal funding.