Comments on: Ball State Study Examines Complex Issue of Schools and Social Media http://indianachamberblogs.com/technology/ball-state-study-examines-complex-issue-of-schools-social-media/ The Business Blog of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:06:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Jonathan http://indianachamberblogs.com/technology/ball-state-study-examines-complex-issue-of-schools-social-media/#comment-2098 Jonathan Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:34:59 +0000 http://indianachamberblogs.com/?p=1803#comment-2098 I agree that principals are free to discipline if school resources are used. Your point about employees being subject to communication restrictions is valid. However, employee restrictions are voluntarily accepted as conditions of employment and any worker is free to leave the company and say whatever they want as long as it isn't libel/slander or a violation of some contract they may have signed. Public school students, on the other hand, have no choice regarding school attendance as they are required by law to attend. I see no way that a public school has the right to restrict speech. They are required to educate the students and there is no "condition for receiving an education" contract similar to what most companies have. I am not a lawyer either but I would think the principals would need some law (which doesn't exist to my knowledge) to support off-campus speech limitations. I agree that principals are free to discipline if school resources are used. Your point about employees being subject to communication restrictions is valid. However, employee restrictions are voluntarily accepted as conditions of employment and any worker is free to leave the company and say whatever they want as long as it isn’t libel/slander or a violation of some contract they may have signed.

Public school students, on the other hand, have no choice regarding school attendance as they are required by law to attend. I see no way that a public school has the right to restrict speech. They are required to educate the students and there is no “condition for receiving an education” contract similar to what most companies have. I am not a lawyer either but I would think the principals would need some law (which doesn’t exist to my knowledge) to support off-campus speech limitations.

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