An elderly woman was spotted hiding in the bushes near an elementary school. After a campus security manager found items including rope, food, water and blankets in her car, police learned she was the grandmother of a student at the school and was planning to kidnap the child.
On the last day of school before summer break, a non-custodial parent convinced her child to run to the perimeter fence of her elementary school as she waited to lead her to a getaway car. Staff members ran after the student and were able to bring her back. The woman was detained until police arrived.
Both of these incidents involving a non-custodial family member occurred at elementary schools in the Littleton Public Schools District in Colorado but are examples of a wider threat that every school district faces. The best way for campuses to handle non-custodial parent issues is to be proactive and stay vigilant.
Access to School Records is Most Common Issue
Gary Sigrist, the CEO of Safeguard Risk Solutions and a security consultant, says the most common call he gets from clients regarding non-custodial parent issues is in regards to accessing the child’s school records.
One of the biggest misconceptions made by school officials in relation to non-custodial parental rights is that they can take a parent’s word on what the courts have granted in regards to custody.
“Some parents may try to deny the non-custodial parent access to school records,” he says. “Unless there is a specific court order forbidding them to have access, that parent still has the right to their child’s school records. You cannot deny access to non-custodial parents of student records unless [there is] a specific court order.”
Amy Rock Editorial, LLC 