As a parent of a college student, your article on student privacy (“Families Grapple With Student Privacy,” Personal Journal, Sept. 20) rang true. I was absolutely floored by the statement from the University of Wisconsin administrator that the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act “is about judgment.” I have found the exact opposite to be true.
When confronted by parents and others, school officials abandon judgment and hide behind the privacy act. They use it as an excuse to do nothing about legitimate concerns. I hate to admit it, but my wife had to pose as my daughter over the telephone to clear up a relatively simple issue. What a mess.