Are law enforcement records protected under FERPA?

“Law enforcement unit records” (i.e., records created by a law enforcement unit at the educational agency or institution, created for a law enforcement purpose, and maintained by the law enforcement unit) are not “education records” subject to the privacy protections of FERPA. As such, the law enforcement unit may refuse to provide a parent or eligible student with an opportunity to inspect and review law enforcement unit records, and it may disclose law enforcement unit records to third parties without the parent’s or eligible student’s prior written consent.

Resources:

FERPA General Guidance for Parents

Audience
Parents and Students
K-12 School Officials
Postsecondary School Officials
Topics
FERPA
Law Enforcement Units/School Resource Officers