Robocalls and Identity Theft

So I had just sat down to blog here when I got a call from....Maria Goodloe-Johnson. It was a robo-call, reminding parents to vote. It seems odd. Is this just well-known local figures making calls as a public service or is this the district doing this (but there's no school levy/bond on the ballot)? Anyone else hear from her?

Also, another whoops from the district. It seems that they released about 5,000 employees private information to a local union by accident (they were following through on a request for information but gave out home addresses and SS numbers by mistake). This article was in the Times. From the article:

"The district acknowledged the error in a letter sent this week to district employees. "It is an unfortunate incident that occurred," said district spokesman David Tucker.

The 5,000 employees are more than half the district's work force. Included were about 700 members of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 609, which represents custodial, nutritional services, security- and alarm-monitoring workers.

Union officials said, and certified in writing, that personal information received from the district had been destroyed.

"We believe they are abiding by their declaration," Tucker said."

From the comments section of the article:

"I'm one of the employees whose information was released, when it should not have been.

One thing that this article fails to mention is that the release of information happened in FEBRUARY and no one was notified until the last week of OCTOBER! Employees didn't learn of this violation for EIGHT MONTHS!"

Mistakes happen but unfortunately this is yet another cost the district has incurred that they can't afford. I do know the head of the union and I believe him when he says the information was destroyed.