Montana State Law
Constitution of Montana -- Article II
Section 10. Right of privacy. The right of individual privacy is essential to the well-being of a free society and shall not be infringed without the showing of a compelling state interest.
Montana Code Annotated (MCA)
20-25-511. Student's right of privacy -- legislative intent. It is the legislature's intent that an institution of the university system of Montana is obligated to respect a student's right of privacy. This obligation must be observed by establishing procedures to safeguard the institution's activities that are necessary to protect the health, safety, and privacy of a person's residence and the privacy of the person's records. Intrusions by peace officers and other officials exercising responsibility for law enforcement must be governed by standards and procedures no less stringent than those applicable to intrusions on private quarters outside the institutions. A student may not be subjected to discrimination by the use of covert records.
20-25-512. Contracts waiving right to privacy prohibited. A university or college facility may not require a student to sign any contract that would waive the student's right to privacy and due process of law
20-25-515. Release of student records. A university or college shall release a student's academic record only when requested by the student or by a subpoena issued by a court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction. A student's written permission must be obtained before the university or college may release any other kind of record unless such record shall have been subpoenaed by a court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction.
20-25-516. Academic records to be kept separate -- student's right to examine records.
(1) Academic records must be kept separate from disciplinary and all other records. Academic transcripts may contain only information of an academic nature.
(2) A student has the right to examine all written summaries, descriptions, statements, or reports of an academic or disciplinary nature that may have been compiled upon the student