By James Lomuscio
Is it appropriate for a teacher to “friend” a student or parent on Facebook?
Ellliott Landon: proposed policy intended to protect employees. Dave Matlow / WN file photo
With the popularity of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and MySpace, Westport Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon asked the Board of Education Monday night to consider a policy regulating employees’ use of social media, even for personal use.
The board, which only had four of its seven members present, will vote on the action at its Jan. 4 meeting.
Landon said that the proposed policy is an extension of the Acceptable Computer Network Use policy requiring all faculty, staff and school board employees to use the school network for emails so that all communication is archived.
He said the policy is designed to protect employees against claims of inappropriate conversations.
“We’ve asked teachers not to use Facebook because there is no way to archive this,” said Landon.
Donald O’Day, school board chairman, questioned whether the policy should be extended to school volunteers who use social media to communicate about school functions. Landon said he would seek legal opinions.
The policy states that while the school board recognizes the importance of social media and acknowledges employees’ First Amendment rights, the board will regulate social media use, even personal use, under certain circumstances.
They include: it interfering with the school district’s work; being used to harass co-workers and others in the school community; creating a hostile work environment; breaching confidentiality obligations; disrupting work of the school district; if it “harms the goodwill and reputation of the school district;” and if it “violates the law, board policies and/or other school rules and regulations.”
Regarding personal use, employees were asked to refrain from inappropriate speech and postings that could reflect poorly on the school district and to maintain “appropriate professional boundaries with students parents and colleagues.”
For example, the proposed policy states that it is inappropriate for a teacher “to friend” a student or his or her parent to establish a special relationship.
It also states it is not appropriate for an employee to give students or parents access to personal postings unrelated to school.
