A U.S. congressman who is also a child psychologist wants to change the rules governing student privacy.
We applaud the idea because of its life-saving potential, but also believe that no child whose parents are paying for his or her education should hesitate to sign a waiver before the first day of class.
Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pa., told The Associated Press that the recent shootings at Virginia Tech demonstrate that the current privacy rules are too restrictive.
The shooter, Seung-Hui Cho, had been identified as needing mental-health treatment, but privacy rules prevent school officials from telling parents in such cases.