The Fourteenth Edition of the MPIA Manual created by Maryland’s Office of the Attorney General indicates “information concerning the specific benefits choices made by specific employees must be withheld because those benefit elections are exempt from disclosure under the PIA as personnel records (GP § 4-311) and records of an individual’s finances (GP § 4-336(b)).” As such, we are denying this request for identification of teachers who are members of the Howard County Education Association, which is collected as part of personnel records for those HCPSS employees who choose to pay membership fees as a benefit selection.
For reference, the Howard County Education Association can be reached at 410-997-3440 or online at http://hceanea.org/.