MARSHFIELD, Wis. (AP) -- The principal of Marshfield Middle School acknowledges he may have broken the law when he posted a list of students with failing grades.

Dave Schoepke says his intent was to motivate those students to turn in their missing assignments Thursday so they could raise their grades enough to attend a dance Friday.

Schoepke tells the Marshfield News-Herald he now regrets the decision. He says he took the list down when he got complaints.

A federal law says schools need written permission from a parent or student before releasing any information from a student's record.

Schoepke says he discussed the matter with Marshfield Schools Superintendent Bruce King on Friday. Schoepke says he plans to use a different motivational strategy in the future.