Help! Advice on deputy headteacher asking me about my home life in front of another parent unknown to me!

[Halfpintmumma]

Hi I’ve had an issue with my sons deputy head teacher, she’s asked me if I was still with my sons father, because she had two different addresses one for me & one for my sons father, now I’m not really bothered her asking this as parents don’t always stay together & can co-parent well, which is the case for us. but what has bothered me is another parent who I do not know was sitting in the office with us at this time, I feel like my right to privacy has been invaded. Is this a breach of data protection? What do I do? Who do I report this to?

You don't need to report it to anyone.

If this is something that you consider to be private information, you could just have answered to that effect, and say you weren't comfortable discussing your private life in front of another parent.

Not sure why yourself and another parents were sitting in the office together, but perhaps she assumed you were friends and the information she needed wasn't a secret to the other person.

Just seems a really odd over reaction to talk about reporting someone for asking a pretty reasonable question when the school needs that information.

They had the information they needed for contact details it’s not even the question that’s bothered me it’s asking me in front of another parent who she was fully aware we weren’t friends, considering it was the first time we had met, she was the one to introduce us. It’s inappropriate & unprofessional for her to be asking me any personal questions especially in front of someone else unless the other person was a staff member. I have now been informed that this is actually a breach of data protection principles as she’s shared my personal information without my consent & no matter how I replied she’s let a complete stranger know personal information, but thanks for your reply I will take this up with the relevant people on Monday morning

I think you're completely over reacting personally, but it's your decision to make.

Report what to? Maybe mn magnifies things but why do people appear to go over the top into dramatics on here

Just explain at the time it you want your situation private

I think if anything was breached it was confidentiality rather than data protection, as this was verbal and you were right there. Data protection regulations govern information held on computers, not what is said in real life, in front of you.

Everyone wants to be offended….

No she didn’t SHARE the info, it was just spoken about where others could overhear there is a difference in terms of intent and this wasn’t intentional. Careless yes. Breach of GDPR no - which I hate to disappoint you won’t actually come to anything even if you do report it.

You want to be offended cause you didn’t like it. Don’t be that parent and waste everyone’s time and energy with some sort of governor investigation which won’t come to anything. Mention you didn’t think was appropriate in the moment instead of raising it days later with some kind of formal complaint.

You are being unreasonable.

Well maybe as a parent / set of great co-parents someone could have been pro-active about informing the school about the significant change in your child’s living arrangements and routines. The fact the school had to clarify is unusual.

As for data breach - what data was breached here? Is it your relationship status - single or otherwise?

One other person might have heard. What’s your data loss? Well since your son will likely talk about the fact he lives between houses/ his parents have split - not sure they’re spilling state secrets. However your remedy in raising this with the school will be to ask the other person who is in receipt of your personal data to forget it / not act on it. You will draw more attention to the issue / yourself.

The data commissioner won’t care and you don’t have grounds to sue so no legal remedies are open to you.

Focus on maintaining good relationships with the school and keeping them informed of key events in your son’s life so they can support you.

If you’re triggered by talking about the breakup get some support. Don’t go making teachers lives harder.

Whoever informed you that this is a data protection breech is wrong, I suggest you read up on it if you really want to and properly educate yourself. I’m not sure what you would be hoping to gain from reporting it, there is no benefit to you and the school / individual will in no way be sanctioned for this. All you will do is affect the relationship between yourself and the school, tbh it sounds like you have some issues in your personal life at the moment, focus on dealing with those and not on creating unnecessary drama.

Incorrect.
I lecture in data protection and this was definitely a data breach.
It's not just data held on computers! It's any data held.

And this was most definitely a breach and the deputy head should have been more careful

Op, I would complain/do a data breach report because otherwise the deputy head could make a much more serious mistake next time

I can't believe the amount of ignorance on this thread and how confidently people are spouting absolute bullshit

Or course it is a breach. Home address and relationship status are personal information!!!

It probably isn't a serious breach in this instance. But it absolutely could have been very serious

If this breach got reported to me.the person who divulged the information would face mandatory training and if they did it again they'd face disciplinary action

Where the fuck have you got the idea that intent is relevant in Data Protection legislation?
Purely inadvertent breaches can result in huge fines.

It might be relevant to a decision about whether or not to sack someone /discipline them, but a breach is a breach,.it doesn't matter what the intent was

The level of falsely asserted nonsense on this thread is staggering

This does indeed sound inappropriate and unprofessional, and sensible grounds for a complaint. I hope it all goes well.

The school was informed about the breakup 3 years ago this teacher has came in after the fact, and even if they weren’t informed that was a question to be asked in private. my son is also non-verbal so no he most definitely won’t be talking about his home life. My personal information has been shared to a complete stranger without my consent. Who said anything about suing?

You have control of your mouth. if it was information you didn’t want to share/elaborate on YOU needed to pause the conversation and say “let’s review this in private”.

You confirmed you are single (having been for 3 years) - so what are you animated about? Bonkers.

Is it a secret that you are no longer together with your child’s father?

Thanks for your reply I will definitely put a complaint in.

Not at all, but my personal information shared to someone I do not know, and they don’t need to know is something I’m not happy with. The school is given personal information on us which should remain private. I have no issue her asking the question if it had just been me & her.

Was a bit late to say weather id like to share it or not she had already shared it 🤦🏻‍♀️

Sorry I think I’ve misunderstood. What was the private information that was shared? I thought you meant that the deputy headteacher asked whether you and your child’s father were still together and you replied that you were not. You have confirmed that is not a secret/private. Was something else private shared? Did the deputy headteacher read out your/your child’s father’s addresses?

Ridiculous and spiteful to report her!

All you had to say was that you only discuss your living arrangements in private.

What's the perceived breach here OP? The fact that your son has two parents who live at different addresses?

It doesn't sound as though addresses themselves were shared, is that right?

I'm another who doesn't understand what personal data was shared. Did the staff member read out your addresses?

When you say office, do you mean the school office? Or an actual office as in where the deputy head works?

I appreciate you've been made to feel uncomfortable by the interaction, which is not ok. But I can't understand where a potential breach is, from your description.

It’s not a big deal but the deputy head should know better.

What data was breached? I genuinely don't know what you read that I didn't