Katy ISD releases parents' emails to political action committees ahead of bond election

KATY, TX (KTRK) -- Some Katy ISD parents wondered how a bond support committee obtained their emails for a recent email blast on the upcoming bond vote.

Dean Zieschang says his wife received one of the emails.

"It makes you wonder what other information is out there floating around on our children," she said.

Leader of the "1 Katy, 1 Bond" support group say they filed a public information request for contact information of Katy ISD parents. The information they were given contained hundreds of email addresses for parents in the district. Once the group opposing the bond issue "Katy Kids First PAC" learned of this, they also filed a public information request and were handed the same information.

"Our teachers and principals work very hard and do a great job. Unfortunately this casts a bad light on the district," Zieschang said.

The Texas Public Information Act Handbook says an email address is considered confidential:

PP. Section 552.137: Confidentiality of Certain E-mail Addresses

Section 552.137 of the Government Code provides as follows:

(a) Except as otherwise provided by this section, an e-mail address of a member of the

public that is provided for the purpose of communicating electronically with a

governmental body is confidential and not subject to disclosure under this chapter.

Katy ISD released a statement to Eyewitness News which reads:

"The District recently learned from parents that they had received communications regarding varying positions on the upcoming bond election through email addresses released in error by the District. The District has contacted representatives of both pro- bond and bond opposition groups, known to have received the information, to explain the error and to ask that parents not be contacted through these email addresses. One group has already responded to the District's request indicating that they have deleted the email list, and we are optimistic that the other group will comply as well."

The district also sent a letter to parents Thursday: