As published in the Record Journal Tuesday December 4, 2012
By Russell Blair
Record-Journal staff
rblair@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2225
Twitter:@RussellBlairRJ
WALLINGFORD - After meeting with representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut, the school district has proposed a new social media policy for students.
The new policy uses more specific language to outline when the Board of Education is allowed to regulate students’ use of social media on school property, at a school-sponsored event or off school grounds.
School board members briefly discussed the changes at a Board of Education instructional committee meeting Monday night. The policy must be voted on by the full school board at a future meeting.
David McGuire, staff attorney for the ACLU of Connecticut, said meetings with the school district had been productive and he was happy the school staff was willing to discuss the organization’s concerns and make adjustments.
McGuire said the original policy was “too broad and infringed on established free speech rights.”
According to the new policy,educators will step in when they “reasonably forecast” that use of social media “shall interfere or disrupt the effective operation of the school district.”
Prohibited uses of social media include engaging in “libelous, defamatory, obscene, profane, vulgar or similarly inappropriate communications or bullying”; advocating or encouraging illegal activity; endangering the health or safety of students and staff; infringing upon the rights of others; or violating the law, board policies or other school rules or regulations.
“The board may also regulate students’ use of social media off school grounds when such use meets the criteria described above and is seriously disruptive of the educational process,” according to the policy.
“This is a much shorter policy,” said School Superintendent Salvatore Menzo. “The ACLU believes this is in the spirit of the law and in spirit of respecting the rights of students, and our attorney feels it is in the appropriate purview of the board in terms of what we have to do.”
“This is a hot topic,” said Board of Education member Michael Votto. “More and more kids are using (social media). There are so many variables, so many opportunities for kids to get in trouble, for us to get in trouble ... we need to cross every ‘t’ and dot every ‘i.’ ” McGuire said he understands the need to strike a balance between student safety and constitutional rights. While the organization doesn’t put its “stamp of approval” on any of these types of policies, McGuire said he felt comfortable with the new language and references to case law.
Menzo said the Wallingford school district is one of the first in the state to craft a student social media policy. He reached out to the ACLU when they first expressed concerns and was happy to work with the organization.
“The result came so quick because we worked collaboratively,” Menzo said. “They wanted to be a part of the process.”
Menzo and McGuire both said crafting social media policies is among the new challenges school districts must face.
“This is an issue that didn’t exist 10 years ago,” McGuire said.
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