The Pennsylvania Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee is scheduled to convene on March 24, 2025, at 11:00 AM EST to hold hearings on the recent discovery of issues related to the use of messaging apps and personal devices with features that automatically delete messages within 24 hours. Pennsbury residents can tune in to PSD411 to WATCH LIVE as Lower Makefield resident Tim Daly testifies before the committee. His testimony will highlight Right To Know requests that exposed Pennsbury’s use of Google Chat to auto-delete records.

PA Senate Live Feed Begins at 11AM

Background On Pennsbury’s Use Of Google Chat

In late August, a whistleblower informed PSD411 contributors about growing concerns regarding the increased use of chat messaging tools by Pennsbury administrative staff. This issue was reportedly a factor in Regina Rausch’s unexpected departure from her role as Director of Special Education. According to prior reports by PSD411, Rausch accused colleagues of misconduct in an email, citing failures to meet legal obligations for fulfilling the IEPs of special education students. In her communication to Dr. Tom Smith, she claimed that 11 emails to her colleagues went unanswered, obstructing the district’s ability to comply with Federal and State regulations.

Following the receipt of Regina Rausch’s revealing email, PSD411 contributors filed an additional RTK request seeking SMS text messages and Chat Application communications to supplement email records received. Pennsbury staff complied within RTKL’s five-business-day response requirement. In an email response from Jen Neill, Pennsbury acknowledged that Google Chat communications were being auto-deleted within 24 hours. This auto-deletion practice was also officially confirmed in their denial response, citing the absence of any responsive records.

PASBO Guidelines Disregarded By Pennsbury

Pennsbury is a member of the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO), an organization dedicated to fostering leadership in school business operations across Pennsylvania. Membership for larger districts like Pennsbury costs approximately $6,400 annually, with additional fees for services and events. This month, Pennsbury allocated $5,000 for staff to attend the Annual PASBO Conference, held at the upscale Hershey Lodge resort. Among its resources, PASBO offers guidance on developing record retention schedules. According to the Sample Records Retention Schedule on the PASBO website, school districts are advised to retain correspondences, including SMS text messages and chat application logs, for a minimum of three years.

Delaware Valley Journal Exposes Pennsbury’s Auto-Delete Efforts

In December 2024, Delaware Valley Journal columnist Linda Stein brought the Pennsbury story to light, nearly three months after the discovery that Google Chat messages were being auto-deleted. Board President Dr. Joanne Steere declined to comment on the matter. Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, emphasized the implications of using ephemeral messaging apps, stating, “Using an ephemeral messaging app raises not only Right-to-Know Law issues but Sunshine Act compliance issues as well. The Sunshine Act requires that quorum deliberations of agency business take place only at a public meeting. The messaging app would allow those discussions to take place outside of public meetings, in violation of the law, without evidence, making public accountability impossible.” Melewsky is set to testify at the upcoming Pennsylvania Senate hearing, appearing alongside Lower Makefield resident Tim Daly.

Pennsbury Personnel Use Rapidly Deleting Google Chat, Avoiding Public Oversight

Following the revelations about Pennsbury’s use of messaging apps, another exclusive investigative report by Linda Stein surfaced a month later, highlighting concerns raised by Melissa Melewsky over potential Pennsylvania Sunshine Law violations at the Central Bucks School District. In a civil lawsuit filed on behalf of two Central Bucks residents, attorney Chadwick Schnee of Schnee Legal uncovered, through the discovery process, that at least five Central Bucks school board members had been using the Signal app for private communications and were auto-deleting messages within 24 hours. A request for summary judgment has been filed in the case. For purposes of transparency, Schnee also serves as legal counsel for PSD411 contributors.

Central Bucks School Board Members Use Signal for Official Business, Evading Public Disclosure

Pennsbury Refuses Invitation To Testify

In late February 2025, Pennsbury School Board President Joanne Steere was contacted by Chuck Erdman, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee, with an invitation to testify under oath regarding the district’s use of Google Chat. Echoing Pennsbury’s earlier refusal to not comment on the news story, Erin Aronson of Eastburn & Gray declined the invitation to testify on Steere’s behalf. In her carefully worded response, Aronson clarified Pennsbury’s current practices concerning Google Chat, stating that the district continues to auto-delete records while awaiting new legal guidance from the State Legislature.

Why Is The Auto-Deletion Of Records Important?

Under Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law (RTKL), school districts are legally required to retain records related to school business operations. According to PASBO guidelines, these records—including business-related correspondence—must be preserved for at least three years under state law. While school districts are permitted to delete communications unrelated to business activities, they often refrain from doing so due to challenges in identifying such records. RTKL grants school districts a five-day window to respond to responsive record requests. In cases where Google Chat communications are auto-deleted within 24 hours, a requestor would need specific knowledge of the sought-after communication five days in advance—a nearly impossible task requiring extraordinary foresight.

The implications of these practices extend far beyond undermining government transparency. The use of auto-delete features to destroy records has the potential to obstruct criminal investigations into serious matters such as sexual assaults by staff on students, facilitate coordinated financial misconduct and to avoid creating a paper trail that could result in violations of Federal and State laws, such as failing to comply with IEP requirements. From a civil litigation standpoint, the use of auto-delete applications directly contradict court rules and the obligation of lawsuit parties to preserve records essential for the discovery process.