1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Communications of a sexual nature, sexually oriented humor or language, sexual advances, or content
with a sexual overtone;
Communications involving the use, encouraging the use, or promoting or advocating the use of alcohol or
tobacco, the illegal use of prescription drugs or controlled dangerous substances, illegal gambling, or
other illegal activities;
Communications regarding the support staff member’s or student’s past or current romantic
relationships;
Communications which include the use of profanities, obscene language, lewd comments, or
pornography;
Communications that are harassing, intimidating, or bullying;
Communications requesting or trying to establish a personal relationship with a student beyond
the support staff member’s professional responsibilities;
Communications related to personal or confidential information regarding another school staff member
or student; and
Communications between the support staff member and a student that the Commissioner of
Education would determine to be inappropriate in determining the support staff member is
unfit to discharge the duties and functions of their position.
The following acceptable protocols for all electronic communications between a support staff member, who has been
approved by the Superintendent or designee to have electronic communications, and a student shall be followed:
1.
E-Mail Electronic Communications Between a Support Staff Member and a Student
a.
b.
c.
All e-mails between a support staff member and a student must be sent or received through the school
district’s e-mail system. The content of all emails between a support staff member and a student shall
be limited to the staff member’s professional responsibilities regarding the student.
A support staff member shall not provide their personal e-mail address to any student. If a student
sends an e-mail to a support staff member’s personal e-mail address, the staff member shall respond to
the e-mail through the school district e-mail system and inform the student his/her personal e-mail
address shall not be used for any electronic communication between the support staff member and the
student.
A support staff member’s school district e-mail account is subject to review by authorized school
district officials. Therefore, a support staff member shall have no expectation of privacy on the school
district’s email system.
2.
Cellular Telephone Electronic Communications Between a Support Staff Member and a Student
a.
Communications between a support staff member and a student via a personal cellular telephone shall be
prohibited.
(1) However, a support staff member may, with prior approval of the Principal or designee, communicate with a student using
their personal cellular telephone if the need to communicate is directly related to the support staff member’s professional
responsibilities for a specific purpose such as a field trip, athletic event, cocurricular activity, etc. Any such approval for
cellular telephone communications shall not extend beyond the specific field trip, athletic event, co-curricular activity, etc.
approved by the Principal or designee.
3.
Text Messaging Electronic Communications Between Support Staff Members and Students
a.
Text messaging communications between a support staff member and an individual student are
prohibited.
(1) However, a support staff member may, with prior approval of the Principal or designee, text message students provided
the need to text message is directly related to the support staff member’s professional responsibilities regarding the
student. Any such text message must be sent to every student in the class or every member of the co-curricular activity.
Any such approval for text messaging shall not extend beyond the activity approved by the Principal or designee.
4.
Social Networking Websites and other Internet-Based Social Media Electronic Communications Between
Support Staff Members and a Student
a.
A support staff member is prohibited from communicating with any student through the support staff
member’s personal social networking website or other Internet-based website. Communications on
personal websites are not acceptable between a support staff member and a student.
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