AG to senator: You lawmakers need to fix it

Shortly after a Polk County man won a lawsuit granting him access to Polk school employees' dependent information, state Sen. Paula Dockery (left) asked the Attorney General's Office whether the judge's decision was in keeping with Florida and federal health records laws.

The laws are "designed to protect privacy of patients and the insured," Dockery wrote. "This is an issue of great concern to me, and your assistance in helping me to determine whether modification of the existing laws is warranted is very much appreciated."

Have at it, senator.

The AG informed Dockery this afternoon that Joel Chandler's information request, which he since has submitted to every school district in the state, would best be solved by the Legislature:

"Clearly, information relating to an insurance program participant's medical condition is protected from disclosure. However, there is no clear statement that such protection extends to the name, address, age or other non-medical information of such participants. ... Due to the lack of clarity in this matter and in light of the recent decision by the Polk County Circuit Court, it may be advisable for the Legislature to clarify its intent on this issue."

Count on that. If Dockery, who didn't return calls to her office, doesn't act, state Sen. Mike Fasano (right) of New Port Richey told the Gradebook he's already on it.

"We plan on proposing some legislation in the upcoming regular session," Fasano said, adding that staffers already are working on language to "protect, in some ways, the privacy and safety of our school employees."

*

Comments

[interesting]

That Joel's brother's victim? Deserves her or his information hidden from public view but that the children of teachers and faculty should be available to a man who would not be allowed to work for the same establishment that he is asking for records for.

http://www.myfloridateacher.com/Discipline/ICMSOrders/056-0916-FO-121007105804.pdf

[Heidi]

Jack,
Chandler opened up this can of worms for his family. I did not. I went into the teaching profession to do a job, never thinking that the private information of mt family would be handed over to a man with a criminal record an no clear motives.

So, as I see it, this is fair ups. I (and all other teachers who read this blog) now have the same information that he does. I don't plan to use it for anything. Can the same be said for Mr. Chandler?

Thanks to Kevin for leveling the playing field a bit.

[Jack Palmer]

Is there any evidence that Mr. Chandler has done anything illegal with respect to his public records request? So many people are concerned about the possibility that he might publish or distribute the personal information of public school employees. Is there any evidence that this has happened?

If it would be wrong for him or anyone else to publish the names, ages and genders of your children then why are you so eager to publish the same info for his family?

If it's wrong for him to do that (I cannot find any evidence that he has) then why is it OK for you to do it?

[Kevin K.]

I think the "market research" is just to throw people off the real reason. And in my opinion people have a real reason to be concerned. Judge for yourself.

Information from public records, information provided by Joel Chandler to The Lakeland Ledger, and postings on the internet:

Joel Edward Chandler, 1355 Forest Park Street, Lakeland FL 33803, DOB 2/4/64. Married 23 years to Debbie who is 42 years old. Father was William Clinton Chandler, mother Susan Jane Chandler. He has four children who are home schooled, Joel Edward Chandler Jr.; Wesley Clinton Chandler who should now be in 11th grade, and last year came in first place in the nation in the category of Oral Interpretation of Poetry at a competition held at Joel’s alma mater Bob Jones University; Ian Sterling Chandler; and little Grace Suzanne Chandler, around 11-years-old and who drew a beautiful picture for the 2007 children’s ministry newsletter of the Trinity Presbyterian Church in Lakeland. Listed on the Hillsborough County Clerk of Courts website for solicitation for prostitution and a subsequent guilty plea (with adjudication withheld).

So he can’t legally work at a school because of the Jessica Lunsford Act, yet a judge in Polk County thinks the legislature intended for him to have all these children’s names and phone numbers.

He lives in a $100,000 house he purchased in 1997 with a big mortgage from SunTrust, yet he’s willing to spend $35,000 to get those children’s names and phone numbers. You see, the Polk County School System agreed to give him the other information he requested. He said he made the request because he knew it would cause trouble. Also, his phone number is private, but there is another phone listed under another name at his address.

In my opinion, essentially he is a Public Records Terrorist, exploiting a flaw in the law and using children as pawns to create fear in caring parents in a vendetta against the public school system of Florida. Now he says he is tempted to be vindictive to those on the list because he’s had so much trouble.

Then there is his brother David Paul Chandler, who had his teaching certificate permanently revoked on 12/7/07 for alleged sexual impropriety with a female student, including alleged sleepovers, and who didn’t even bother to show up to the hearing on it. So it possible that the brother now has this information on the children too.

Joel has said he is trying to decide about being vindictive and distributing the information to who knows who.

So is this what the legislature intended?

[Kevin K.]

I think the "market research" is just to throw people off the real reason. And in my opinion people have a real reason to be concerned. Judge for yourself.

Information from public records, information provided by Joel Chandler to The Lakeland Ledger, and postings on the internet:

Joel Edward Chandler, 1355 Forest Park Street, Lakeland FL 33803, DOB 2/4/64. Married 23 years to Debbie who is 42 years old. Father was William Clinton Chandler, mother Susan Jane Chandler. He has four children who are home schooled, Joel Edward Chandler Jr.; Wesley Clinton Chandler who should now be in 11th grade, and last year came in first place in the nation in the category of Oral Interpretation of Poetry at a competition held at Joel’s alma mater Bob Jones University; Ian Sterling Chandler; and little Grace Suzanne Chandler, around 11-years-old and who drew a beautiful picture for the 2007 children’s ministry newsletter of the Trinity Presbyterian Church in Lakeland. Listed on the Hillsborough County Clerk of Courts website for solicitation for prostitution and a subsequent guilty plea (with adjudication withheld).

So he can’t legally work at a school because of the Jessica Lunsford Act, yet a judge in Polk County thinks the legislature intended for him to have all these children’s names and phone numbers.

He lives in a $100,000 house he purchased in 1997 with a big mortgage from SunTrust, yet he’s willing to spend $35,000 to get those children’s names and phone numbers. You see, the Polk County School System agreed to give him the other information he requested. He said he made the request because he knew it would cause trouble. Also, his phone number is private, but there is another phone listed under another name at his address.

In my opinion, essentially he is a Public Records Terrorist, exploiting a flaw in the law and using children as pawns to create fear in caring parents in a vendetta against the public school system of Florida. Now he says he is tempted to be vindictive to those on the list because he’s had so much trouble.

Then there is his brother David Paul Chandler, who had his teaching certificate permanently revoked on 12/7/07 for alleged sexual impropriety with a female student, including alleged sleepovers, and who didn’t even bother to show up to the hearing on it. So it possible that the brother now has this information on the children too.

Joel has said he is trying to decide about being vindictive and distributing the information to who knows who.

So is this what the legislature intended?

[FL teacher/mother]

I think Mr. Chandler is up to something else. I found his profile listed at www.linkedin.com/pub/6/845/a96 where he says his industry is "market research". I think we'll all be getting more junk mail courtesy of Mr. Chandler! Also, I am very concerned about my children's insurance information being available to all who ask. Why does my family have to be so exposed because I teach public school. Want my info--fine! My kids and husband--out of bounds!

[teachertoo]

I think that the people who look for this info will just give reason for legislators to put in safeguards.

We should thank this guy for bringing it out so that we can now fix a problem that Tallie only just realized could be a problem.

If you own a home, your property address and home address is already available through public records online. For a small fee you can find information if someone has a blemish on their license from the DMV.

If they want to find your address or most current listed phone number, they only need to go on ZABASEARCH to find all of your addresses and numbers for the past 10 years any way.

So, except for the names of your dependents, the rest of the info can be found by other means as well if it is published in any form.

From what I understand, if you are opting out of the health benefits, and your dependents are on your non-district spouse's insurance, then that information is not even available for retrieval through public records.
Only the employee's name, address, and tel. number would be available.

If you list a PO Box for your address, and then give the school's number as a tel. number then that problem is also solved.

The issue will be addressed with similar safeguards that are already in place for currently exempted governmental employees.

[Heidi]

Teacher, I hadn't even thought of that. People will know where I live and that my two very young children live here also. Should I have to worry about pedophiles or kidnappers simply because I am a public employee? I think not!

[Teacher]

The very first year my husband taught we learned to have an unlisted phone number. Parents and students would call at all hours and on weekends to ask questions about homework or discipline. Students would call from "sleepovers" at 1am on Fridays and wake our household. Kids called during Bucs games to say "hi". If this guy gets his wish my unlisted phone number, which I pay to be unlisted, will become become public. So when I write little Johnny up for XYZ I can be harassed at home? Not to mention endangering my child by handing out my address. This is a lawsuit waiting to happen PCSB.

[Pat Connolly]

7:51,
ANY category of public employee who, in the course of normal required duties, is likely to be involved with the public should have their private contact and family information shielded. That includes police, judges, teachers, DMV workers, water meter readers, pretty much anybody.

WHY?
1) Because there are people out there who are unstable and could do us harm or harass us, simply because we're doing our job and that sometimes puts us into conflict with people.
2) Because there is no legitimate reason for blanket release of such information. Legitimate requests for specific information about specific individuals should be considered on a case by case basis, by a judge if necessary. Mr. Chandler's request seems to have no legitimate purpose, other than to prove the point that he can get these records under current law.

Information relevant to the actual job being done should be open record. Where I work, how much I'm paid, things such as that should be open to the public. But not where I live, my phone number, and my children's names and ages. That potentially endangers them and me. And, yes, I HAVE been the victim of harassment at home (I guess that's what you'd call obscene phone calls directed at my family at all hours of the night) from a very troubled student I had in class.

9:26 -- using your logic, who would you NOT exempt from the suhsine law?

If that is the case, why don't we go ahead and exempt every bit of personal information related to public employees?

[what's good for the goose]

apologies in advance if this is the wrong Joel Chandler. sorry you share a name with this dirtbag.

Joel E Chandler
1355 Forest Park St
Lakeland, FL 33803-1887

phone number unavailable
Age: 40-44
Household: Deborah

[publicschoolteacher]

Agreed. The exemption letter that the district sent out (to be excluded from this disclosure of information) included judges, lawyers, police officers, social workers, etc. AND their immediate family members. It is not at all unreasonable to include teachers with this group.

[Pat Connolly]

The law allows a broad spectrum of professions protection from the release of personal information based on the possibility of danger from people upset about job-related acts. Since school employees are involved in the assessment and discipline of students, it would be reasonable to extend this protection to school employees. Teachers and other school staff are routinely targeted by students and parents for perceived mistreatment, or just because we're part of a profession.

[publicschoolteacher]

I read a suggestion somewhere for teachers to get a P.O. Box and use their school's telephone number on information like this. Not a bad idea now...

[Teacher]

If we knew that the information wasn't going to end up on the web with our home address and phone for, no offense, every torqued off parent and student to use at 2AM then I would say "whatever". However, until everyone is subject to the law then it is unfair.

Stop giving this loser the attention he wants and he will disappear.

[publicschoolteacher]

I have no problem if you want my information, but leave my kids out of it!

Great, more erosion of our infamous "sunshine" law