Vt. Supreme Court denies records request in school district case

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – The Vermont Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a school district in a public records request case.

A member of the Slate Valley Unified Union School Board had sued the district in an effort to get documents on how many students at the Fair Haven Grade School had been subject to restraint and seclusion between January to April 2021. The procedure involves using physical force to prevent danger to a student or those around them.

The court on Friday reversed a lower court decision, ruling that those documents are exempt from public records and the district had the authority to deny the request.