Schools adopt social media policy

SANDUSKY — Sandusky's board of education approved a social media policy for its employees that restricts some commentary about district business. Superintendent Dan Rambler said the policy is not in the recently approved teacher contract, but it was a topic discussed a lot with union leadership and they are aware of the new policy. "A lot of districts have (created a policy) in the past five to 10 years as that has become a thing just how we communicate with the public and how we do that," Rambler said. "The main part of it is making sure that staff are aware of what is the use of social media, the limitations of that use and ensuring we are positively interacting on social media." The policy states district employees have the right to use social media during their personal time. The district defined social media as "any form of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages and other content (such as images or videos), and includes, but is not limited to personal websites, blogs, social networking sites and online forums." "The content of most social media can be made readily accessible to the public," the policy states. "As such, district employees will be held to the same professional standards in their use of social media as they are for any other public conduct." The new requirements come just months after two employees, Richard Koonce and Todd Downing, took to social media to criticize the district's hiring process when searching for a new athletic director. It generated much community feedback and led the district to alter its hiring protocol. When asked specifically if online postings like the ones made by Koonce and Downing would constitute violations under the new policy, Rambler declined to comment. The district's union president spoke out about the policy when asked by the Register. "Had the policy been created decades ago, there is a good chance that two administrators would have been disciplined up to and including termination for their apparent violations of the social media restrictions," said Brian Nitschke, president of the Sandusky Education Association. "It shouldn't be a secret to anyone who followed local news last spring and into the summer as to why the policy was created at this particular time." Six restrictions in new policy 1. Interactions with students via social media must comply with board policy. 2. District employees are prohibited from using non-district sanctioned social media accounts to communicate with students or parents/guardians about district business or student educational matters, or to perform other duties of their jobs. 3. An employee's use of social media shall not interfere with the employee's or any other district employee's ability to effectively perform his/her job duties. 4. An employee's use of social media shall not undermine the effectiveness of working relationships between employees of the district. 5. An employee's use of social media shall not interfere with, disrupt, or impede the orderly and efficient operations of the district or undermine its educational mission. 6. An employee shall not use social media to make deliberate or reckless falsehoods about the district, its operations, or its employees. The policy also outlines how complaints about different parties will be handled and who will lead the investigation of the complaint including: 1. Complaints about non-administrative employees will be sent to the building principal or immediate supervisor of who the complaint is against. 2. Complaints about administrative employees will be sent to the superintendent. 3. Complaints about the superintendent or the treasurer will go to the school board. Nitschke said the association's position on the policy regarding complaints about fellow employees is that it is reasonable and not unlike what has already been done.