Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. officials plan to continue to review a proposed social media policy into the new year before it is considered for approval by the school board.
BCSC Superintendent Jim Roberts introduced the new policy to school board members on Oct. 21. In its original form, the social media policy offered a definition of social media and guidelines for how employees should use it.
BCSC Director of Operations Brett Boezeman said the corporation will postpone action on the matter for a second time this month, delaying consideration until sometime in the spring. The delay is due to several questions raised by community members and the Columbus Educators Association, which represents about 470 BCSC teachers.
The policy was originally up for a vote on Nov. 18, but Roberts said school officials decided to table the vote until December in order to answer questions and make revisions to clarity.
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The BCSC school board will not vote on the proposed social media policy at its December meeting at 6:30 p.m. today at Columbus East High School, 230 S. Marr Road.
“Because of these questions, the policy has been revised, modified and clarified,” Boezeman said. “BCSC and CEA recently met to discuss these questions and have both agreed to continue to review the policy before presenting it again to the board for final review.”
The proposed policy prohibited employees from speaking on behalf of their employer and sharing confidential district matters on personal social media, unless specifically instructed.
Under the proposed policy, employees would be subject to discipline up to and including employment termination for content that exceeds legal protections even if they claim the expression is personal.
BCSC employees and staff would also generally be prohibited from communicating privately, one-on-one, or “friending” or connecting with currently enrolled students through personal social media. This would not apply to communications between students who are employee family members and/or who participate in civic, recreational, or religious organizations with the employee.
Roberts said in an earlier interview with The Republic that a social media policy is currently in place but is difficult for employees to find and is very vague. The corporation wanted to put something in place that would guide employees on effective use of social media as a school employee.
Boezeman said revisions will continue to be made and shared with CEA membership and the community for review and feedback, as well as legal counsel. The topic will likely be brought back to the board in the spring for consideration, he said.
“We are fortunate to work in a district with supportive teacher association leaders who are eager and willing to have open conversations about matters such as these,” Boezeman said. “Again, the importance of this work is to protect students, staff, and the community.”
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Note: This policy is still up for review by the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. School Board and is subject to change.
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.
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