From the US Department of Education's webpage:
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.
FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are "eligible students."
* Parents or eligible students have the right to inspect and review the student's education records maintained by the school. Schools are not required to provide copies of records unless, for reasons such as great distance, it is impossible for parents or eligible students to review the records. Schools may charge a fee for copies.
* Parents or eligible students have the right to request that a school correct records which they believe to be inaccurate or misleading. If the school decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student then has the right to a formal hearing. After the hearing, if the school still decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student has the right to place a statement with the record setting forth his or her view about the contested information.
* Generally, schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record. ...
In a hypothetical world, Trump did not need to contact Fordham, UPenn, or his high school. Because Federal law requires that they get Trump's permission to release Trump's records.
And in this hypothetical world journalists would not ask for what they legally should not receive.
In the real world, ethics in academia and "journalism" are partisanly flexible, with Trump being an automatic object of hatred among "journalists" and academics. So
it was entirely realistic and necessary - as well as legal - for Trump to have his legal beagles warn Fordham or UPenn or his high school that they would face legal consequences if they violated the law.
NothingBurger with chimera sauce ...
Unsurprisingly
