Missouri NEA's McIntosh: Treasurer Malek left Missouri student data exposed for a year. The Legislature must freeze the $50 million

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

^{Contact: Mark Jones, MNEA Director of Public Affairs and Messaging
(573) 508-8528 | [email protected]}

JEFFERSON CITY, MO -- President Rebeka McIntosh released the following statement today in response to the Missouri Independent's reporting that Treasurer Vivek Malek's office posted MOScholars voucher program students' names, parent emails, scholarship amounts, and schools on a public website for nearly a year:

"Missouri families trust their public schools with their children's names and records every day. That trust is earned through law, training, and accountability.This voucher program ignores those exact standards.

"This is not one bad day. In 2024, donor data for the MOScholars voucher program was quietly posted and quietly removed. In 2025, the State Auditor found the Treasurer's office failed to conduct required annual audits of this voucher program. Now, Missouri students have been exposed for nearly a year. That is a pattern, and Missouri families are paying the price.

"Every affected family deserves free identity protection, a formal notice that their child's data was exposed, and a full apology.

"Treasurer Malek owes Missouri families answers, a full apology, and real protection. The Missouri Legislature should take immediate action, demand answers from Treasurer Malek, and freeze every dollar of new MOScholars funding until Missouri families get them. Our students are not a line item. They are why we do this work."

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Missouri NEA is a union representing 45,000 educators across Missouri: teachers, support professionals, higher education faculty, retirees, and aspiring educators. We are the state affiliate of the 3-million-member National Education Association. Visit www.mnea.orgto learn more.