A concerned citizen is seeking the release of records from Cumberland Valley School District

Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania — A letter written by a concerned parent to the Cumberland Valley School District seeks the release of information.

The letter states:

Cumberland Valley School District
6746 Carlisle Pike
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

August 16, 2026

To the School Board Directors of Cumberland Valley School District:

I am writing to ask why Cumberland Valley School District continues to oppose the release of a police report and security footage concerning an incident involving “The Big Red Truck.”

Unless the Cumberland Valley Police Department has decided to reopen the matter and pursue criminal charges against the driver, I do not understand why these records cannot be released. I was previously told by the responding officer that the video and police report would be available. Yet the District’s Right-to-Know office and its solicitor, Johnson & Duffie, appear to be contesting the release of these records.

That raises serious questions. Is there something incriminating in the video? Is the District withholding the footage because the person driving the truck is a school board member? I am asking these questions because I was directly involved in the incident, and I have a legitimate interest in knowing how many inches that vehicle came to making contact with me in an otherwise empty parking lot. I know what I witnessed that day, but I would like to see the actual video for myself.

By continuing to fight the release of this information, the District creates the appearance that there is something it does not want the public to see. If there is a legitimate legal reason the records cannot be released, I believe taxpayers deserve a clear explanation of that reason.

I also question the amount of taxpayer money being spent on legal representation in Right-to-Know matters. Some members of this board recently went to the state Capitol seeking additional state funding, and state legislators responded by providing additional resources. Are those legislators aware of how much Cumberland Valley School District is spending on legal services to oppose citizens seeking access to public records?

These are taxpayer-funded resources. Citizens should be able to ask reasonable questions and obtain public records without feeling that the District will use its legal resources to make access unnecessarily difficult.

I am also concerned about the message this situation sends to members of the community. If citizens cannot obtain a police report and security footage concerning an incident occurring on school property, they may reasonably question whether reporting an incident through the District is the best option. Transparency and public confidence depend on citizens believing that records will be handled openly and appropriately.

I am therefore asking the School Board to reconsider its position and release the police report and security footage, provided there is no legitimate legal basis preventing their disclosure. Because the board has not responded to my emails on this subject, I am forced to do an open letter for the public to see.

If the District believes these records are exempt from disclosure, please explain specifically what legal exemption applies and why. I would also ask the Board to explain to taxpayers how much the District has wasted on legal fees associated with opposing the release of these records and other Right-to-Know requests.

The public deserves transparency. If there is nothing improper about the incident or the records, releasing them should help resolve questions rather than create additional suspicion.

Will this Board reverse course and demonstrate a genuine commitment to transparency, or will it continue wasting taxpayer-funded resources fighting citizens who are seeking access to public records?

I respectfully ask you to release the video and police report, or provide the public with a specific and transparent explanation of why you will not.

Sincerely,

Jason Snyder
Concerned Citizen of Cumberland Valley School District