New proposed guidelines for the way Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. employees conduct themselves on social media are up for discussion Monday at the school district’s board meeting.
BCSC Superintendent Jim Roberts introduced the new policy to school board members on Oct. 21.
The public is invited to speak to school board members and ask questions about the policy at the board’s regularly scheduled meeting on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at L. Frances Smith Elementary School, 4505 Waycross Drive.
Individuals who wish to speak must register on the blue sheet when they enter the meeting Monday. President Jill Shedd will call names to the podium during the public comments portion of the meeting.
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.
Board members were originally scheduled to vote on the final reading of the policy at its upcoming meeting Monday, but Roberts said they have decided to table the vote until December in order to answer questions that have arisen in response to the proposed policy.
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. This 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.
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.
The policy is intended to help employees be more effective with their message and keep them away from challenging issues that sometimes arise when a message is put out for the world to see.
Roberts said there was no single incident that sparked the creation of the policy, but instead the corporation saw an opportunity to strengthen its current policy.
BCSC consulted with Séamus Boyce at Indianapolis-based law firm Church, Church, Hittle and Antrim, who provided the corporation with draft policy templates from other school corporations. Using the models that already existed, the corporation formed its own version of a social media policy.
If enacted by the school board, the policy would apply to all 2,000 BCSC employees, Roberts said.
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For a copy of the proposed social media policy, visit therepublic.com.
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