Here's a link to a recent NEA article about school employees that faced termination or discipline for something online and unrelated to their jobs (or so they thought).
You may think that this doesn't or won't affect anyone in your local, but many employees, especially younger ones, have had an on-line presence for years. It has only been recently that the perils of this are occurring.
In the wake of these reports, the Ohio Education Association urged all OEA members to remove any personal profiles they may have posted on MySpace or Facebook. The Association also warned members that such profiles "can be used as evidence in disciplinary proceedings," which could "affect not only a teacher's current job but his/her teaching license" as well.
An Ottawa County EA's Executive Board adopted and sent out a similiar warning to all of it's members regarding appropriate use of the internet.
Be proactive. Educate your members today. If you would like a copy of the Ottawa County EA's warning please contact Jon Toppen at jtoppen@mea.org.
