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 new policy will be considered by school board members at their next meeting 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.
Roberts said 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.
“Over my three plus years here, just a few things will pop up — Is that how we want that to read? Is there a better way to do that? What guidance can we provide to our people?” Roberts said. “After just experiencing the use of social media by all of us, we just saw it as an opportunity to look at that policy and strengthen it.”
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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