Confidential student data exposed in breach, report says

Confidential student data on mental health and special education needs were reportedly exposed in Fairfax County.

WASHINGTON - Confidential student data on mental health and special education needs were reportedly exposed in Fairfax County.

According to a report by The 74, tens of thousands of students' data at Fairfax County Public Schools were breached.

But a spokesperson with Fairfax County Public Schools they do not yet know the extent of the breach and don't know the exact number of students affected.

The confidential student records were reportedly released to a parent advocate last month. The parent advocate who received the documents has reportedly been an outspoken critic of the district’s data privacy policies.

"We are deeply sorry that this happened. An external legal investigation began as soon as FCPS was made aware of a Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) disclosure to a parent. We are working to determine who has been impacted so that appropriate notifications can be made," said FCPS in a statement.

Given the volume of the information, an investigation may take some time, according to FCPS. It's unclear if the investigation will ever be made public.