By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services via Pinal- Central
The legal counsel for the Arizona Board of Regents is telling Attorney General Mark Brnovich there is “no factual basis” for his assertion that state universities have to release more information about students, faculty and staff who contract COVID-19.
In a sometimes sharply worded letter, Jennifer Pollock said federal law expressly prohibits the release of personally identifiable health information “except in the most extreme circumstances.” And she noted that Brnovich was aware of — and apparently cited — some of the same statutes.
“Despite acknowledging this governing law, the opinion makes broad and incorrect conclusions, including that the universities should release information about where employees who have fallen ill worked and where students who have fallen ill lived, took classes or may have visited,” Pollock wrote to the attorney general.
