PROHIBIT RELEASE OF EMERGENCY 911 VOICE TAPES WITHOUT CONSENT

WHEREAS, the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights guarantees freedom of speech and rights of the press; and

WHEREAS, the Fourth Amendment guarantees certain rights of privacy to individuals; and

WHEREAS, rights of the press have been extended to include the invasion of privacy of individuals by broadcasting Emergency 911 voice tapes of individuals during times of extreme distress; and

WHEREAS, this invasion has included such incidents as shootings at high schools, children making calls while hiding from abusive parents, children making calls regarding accidents or other injuries, and calls from parents regarding their children in distress; and

WHEREAS, Emergency 911 services are paid for by tax dollars and should not be used as a marketing tool to increase television/radio ratings; and

WHEREAS, the broadcasting of these voice tapes is invasive and disruptive not only to the lives of children and their families, but also causes the family trauma to overflow into our schools, classrooms and the lives of other students; and

WHEREAS, educational resources are stretched to the breaking point without the added stress this invasion of privacy brings, requiring resources to be expended to counsel students and staff members:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers, its members and affiliates support legislation that would prohibit the release of Emergency 911 voice tapes to the media without consent of the caller or a parent, spouse, guardian or other recognized representative of the caller; and

RESOLVED, that this resolution be forwarded to the AFL-CIO for action as appropriate.