Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. employees could be subject to stricter guidelines when it comes to their use of social media if school board members adopt a new policy next month.
Superintendent Jim Roberts introduced the new policy on first reading to school board members Monday at the board’s meeting at Mt. Healthy Elementary School. The board will vote whether or not to adopt the policy at its November meeting.
The new policy will be considered by school board members at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 18 at L. Frances Smith Elementary School, 4505 Waycross Drive.
The policy defines social media as “all means of communicating information or content of any sort on the internet,” including but not limited to a blog, personal website, social networking or chat room among other examples, whether or not associated or affiliated with the employer.
Employees are responsible for monitoring their content postings and should be deliberate about how they would like their content to be consumed, the policy states. Unless specifically instructed, employees are not authorized to and are restricted from speaking on behalf of their employers and are prohibited from sharing confidential district matters on personal social media.
The policy reads that employees are 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.
For more on this story, see Wednesday’s Republic.
