The following is the text of the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. proposed policy on social media.
Note: This policy is still up for review by the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. School Board and is subject to change. The policy is up for adoption by the school board on Nov. 18 at 6:30 p.m. at Smith Elementary School, 4505 Waycross Drive.
RESPONSIBLE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
I. Social Media Defined
Social media includes but is not limited to all means of communicating information or content of any sort on the Internet, including the employee’s own or someone else’s web log or blog, journal or diary, personal web site, audio or video recording, social networking or affinity web site, web bulletin board or a chat room, whether or not associated or affiliated with the employer.
II. General Provisions
Employees are responsible for monitoring their content postings. They should be aware of privacy settings and should be deliberate about how they would like their content to be consumed. Employees should also assume that anything posted or shared online could become public information. Employees could be held personally liable for content that is defamatory, obscene, proprietary, or libelous. The sharing of confidential district matters on personal social media is prohibited.
Consistent with our acceptable use expectations, employees cannot use employer-owned equipment, including computers, employer-licensed software or other electronic equipment, nor facilities or work time, to conduct personal blogging or social networking activities. Employees may not use employer email addresses to register on social networks, blogs, or other online tools utilized for personal use.
Employees shall not disclose any confidential information (information that is declared or permitted to be treated as confidential by state or federal law or employer expectations, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)) obtained in the course of their employment about individuals or organizations, including students and/or their families or another member of the school community. For example, employees may never post a student’s behavior or attendance on an employee’s personal social media.
III. Official Versus Personal Content
Unless specifically instructed, employees are not authorized to and therefore are restricted from speaking on behalf of their employer. Employees should deliberately describe that their views expressed in a blog or on social networking sites are their own and not those of their employer. The use of an employer name, school name, email address, job title, seal, logo, or letterhead are considered to represent the employer in an official capacity. Other communications leading an average consumer to conclude that posted content was made in an official capacity could also be considered to represent the employer in an official capacity. Absent evidence of prior steps taken to distinguish content as being personal expression, statements made in blogs or on social media networking sites may be perceived as being in the scope of the employee’s official job duties. If contacted by the media or press about their employer, employees should contact the Communications Coordinator, unless authorized by the Superintendent.
Employees are subject to discipline up to and including employment termination for content that exceed legal protections even if they disclaim their expression as personal. For example, when making statements on social media, employees shall not make statements that are threatening, harassing, knowingly or recklessly disregard the truth, false or misleading statements about fact, obscene, defamatory, or hostile toward students or employees, the employer, or its board members.
IV. Communications with Students
Employees are generally prohibited from communicating privately, one-on-one, with currently enrolled students through personal social media. Employees are further prohibited from “friending” or otherwise connecting with currently enrolled student via personal social media. This prohibition does not apply to communications between students who are employee family members and/or who participate in civic, recreational, or religious organizations with the employee.
Employees may communicate privately with currently enrolled students pursuant to the employee’s job duties provided the communication occurs through a method approved by the Superintendent and/or designee that allows for administrative supervision of the communication.
Employees may use group social media platforms to communicate with students generally about homework assignments, preparation for exams, classroom supplies, or similar classroom-related topics that do not involved personally identifiable information of any student or violate any employer expectation. This does not permit direct communications with individual students that cannot be viewed by a group.
Extra-curricular leaders may use group social media platforms to communicate with students about travel plans, changes in schedules, and similar topics that do not involve personally identifiable information of any student or violate any employer expectation. This does not permit direct communications with individual students that cannot be viewed by a group.
Employees who wish to create website for student support, such as listing athletic events or classroom support materials, shall have those sites approved by administration and linked to employer websites. These pages are subject to all employer expectations. Employees shall allow the Superintendent and/or designee to have access to any school related social media site as a “friend,” “follower,” or similar access request.
V. Reporting Violations
Any violations of this document should be shared with the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources. Violation of the expectations set in this document will result in disciplinary action up to and including immediate termination.
