Policy
SOCIAL MEDIA
Code GBEEA Issued
The Board acknowledges the role that communication through social media plays in 21st century learning. Employees should take advantage of this technology in a manner that encourages professionalism, responsibility, safety, and awareness. However, social media use has the potential to disrupt the school environment and the workplace and can be in violation of Board policy and local, state, or federal law. As such, the Board recommends that District employees ensure all content associated with their social media accounts are consistent with their role as public school/state employees. Employees will be held to the same professional standards in their use of social media as they are for any other public conduct. Violation of this policy may lead to disciplinary action, including termination.
General Guidelines
The District defines “social media” broadly to include online platforms that facilitate activities such as professional or social networking, posting commentary or opinions and sharing pictures, audio, video, or other content. “Social media” includes personal websites and all types of online communities (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, Yelp, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, blogs, message boards, and chat rooms).
The District establishes the following rules and guidelines for communicating information via social media:
• Employees’ social media activity is covered by District policies, including Equal Employment Opportunity (GBA), Anti-Harassment (GBAA), Staff Conduct (GBEB), and Staff Conduct with Students (GBEBB).
• Employees may not use social media for non-business or non-educational purposes while at work. Only sharing of official District social media postings may be shared while at work.
• Employees should not represent that the District has authorized them to speak on behalf of the District or that the District has approved their messages.
Because of the rapid evolution of technology, every possible use of social media cannot be addressed in Board policy. If an employee has a question regarding the appropriateness of a given use of social media, he/she should consult his/her direct supervisor or building principal for guidance.
Mandated Reporting
Employees are encouraged to report to the appropriate individuals or service providers any concerning behaviors they encounter in their use of personal or District-approved social media. Employees who are mandated reporters are required to abide by the same reporting responsibilities in the context of social media and must report abuse or neglect when, in their professional capacity, they receive information giving them reason to believe that a child’s physical or mental health has been or may be adversely affected by abuse or neglect.
Educational Social Media
At the beginning of each school year, employees should provide parents with information on any social media sites where information relevant to his/her child’s education or extracurricular activities may be posted. However, no student or parent should be required to access information through a social media platform. Any essential information therein should be readily accessible in an alternate format.
Employees should ensure all social media platforms that students are asked to access for purposes of education or extracurricular activities are closely monitored. All content on these sites and/or pages must relate to education, curriculum, instruction, school-authorized activities and athletics, school or District news, or general information relating to work, activities, and accomplishments of the District, its staff, or students.
Employees are encouraged to create social media accounts separate from their personal accounts to house any content that students will be asked to utilize or view. Only students, parents/legal guardians, and other individuals with a legitimate educational interest should have access to the information therein. Employees, upon request, must provide user names, passwords, and other information necessary to access such social media sites to their building-level principal and/or direct supervisor. Any such site or page must be closely monitored for appropriateness of content. Posted content should be immediately removed if it is abusive, defamatory, or obscene; is fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading; targets, disparages, or discriminates; contains spam, advertising, solicitations, or includes links to other sites unrelated to an educational purpose; contains confidential information; is in violation of any intellectual property right of another; is in violation of any law or regulation; violates any Board policy; or is otherwise offensive, graphic, or inappropriate in tone.
The Board recognizes that maintenance of student and employee privacy is essential. Therefore, employees should not post confidential student information, photographs or video of students, or photographs or video taken on District property without express District or parental permission. Further, employees should not “tag” or otherwise identify other District employees, District volunteers, student teachers, vendors, or contractors in postings, photographs, or videos without obtaining prior written permission from those individuals.
No private messages should be sent directly from an employee to a student, except where the communication is clearly related to a District-approved school or extracurricular purpose. No ongoing communication with students in this format is appropriate. Whenever possible, a student’s parents/legal guardian should be included as a recipient of any such correspondence.
Public records
Electronic communications sent and received by District employees, including those transmitted via social media, may be considered public records subject to public disclosure or inspection under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act. Employees should ensure that all electronic communications, including social media contributions, are professional in tone and content and are made for the express purpose of furthering the educational goals of the District Personal Social Media.
Employees should not engage in personal social networking friendships with students enrolled in the District and are strongly discouraged from interacting with parents/legal guardians of students in the context of social media.
Employees may not set up, update, or otherwise access personal social media sites and/or pages using the District’s computers, network, or equipment.
Employees are encouraged to follow writing conventions when contributing to online content, including the use of proper grammar, capitalization, and punctuation.
Employees should remain aware that use of personal social media sites to conduct District business or use of District issued electronic for personal social media engagement may require the employee to disclose data and information under the S.C. Freedom of Information Act. No expectation of privacy
Employees are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the privacy settings for any social media platforms they utilize to ensure personal content is only viewable by their intended audience. However, employees are cautioned that there is no expectation of privacy in the information they share through social media, and there are numerous ways for “personal” content to be shared without their knowledge or permission (i.e., photo “tagging,” screen shots, etc.).
While the District will not monitor personal social media accounts, the superintendent or his/her designee has the right to act on information provided by students, parents/legal guardians, and community members that may indicate a violation of Board policy or local, state, or federal law.
Cf. GBEB, GBEBB, GBEE, IJNDB, JLF
Adopted ^
Legal References:
A. Federal Law:
1. Children’s Internet Protection Act of 2000, 47 U.S.C.A. Section 254.
2. Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, 17 U.S.C.A. Section 512 - Limitations on liability relating to copyrighted material online.
B. S.C. Code, 1976, as amended:
1. Section 10-1-205 - Computers in public libraries; regulation of Internet access.
2. Section 16-15-305 - Disseminating, procuring or promoting obscenity unlawful; definitions; penalties; obscene material designated contraband.
3. Section 30-4-10, et seq. - Freedom of Information Act.
4. Section 63-7-310 through 350 - Mandatory Reporting.
C. Federal Cases:
1. Connick v. Myers, 461 U.S. 138 (1983) - Government has a legitimate public interest in regulating the speech of its employees.
2. Pickering v. Bd. of Educ., 391 U.S. 563 (1968) - Public employees maintain their First Amendment rights to comment on matters of public interest.
