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2 commentsThursday, November 13, 2008

Facebook Postings Land Teachers In Hot Water

Possible firings

Half a dozen teachers in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district face disciplinary action and firings for posting derogatory comments about students on Facebook.

Four of the teachers have been disciplined for posts involving "poor judgment and bad taste," spokeswoman Nora Carr told the Charlotte Observer.

Facebook Postings Land Teachers In Hot Water

Unbelievably one teacher in the district posted on Facebook that one of her activities was "teaching chitlins in the ghetto of Charlotte" and listed one of her hobbies as drinking. In her "About Me" section she wrote, "I am teaching in the most ghetto school in Charlotte."

Superintendent Peter Gorman has recommended the teacher be fired. Currently the teacher is suspended with pay and the dismissal is not final because teachers have the right to an appeal. The name of the teacher has not been released until a final decision has been made in the case.

District officials are crafting a memo reminding all 19,000 employees that what they post on social networking sites that can be viewed by the public should be appropriate. "When you're in a professional position, especially one where you're interacting with children and parents, you need to be above reproach," Carr said.

Amazingly the teachers under fire did not use the option on Facebook that blocks public viewing of their pages.  "I think they just didn't think these things through," Carr said. "That's kind of mind -boggling."

 

About the author:
Mike is a staff writer for WebProNews.

Teachers

That's absolutely ludicrous that people might get fined for making derogatory comments about students.  A lot of students, at all levels, are deeply dim and in the wrong job. Life would be unliveable without being able to slag people off from time to time.

OK, the teachers should have made a bit more effort to confine their comments to other teachers, but it almost looks like they're now being punished for a technical incompetence in working Facebook, which is no crime.

I only wish I had enough German to get in touch and urge them good luck in their appeal.

Cliff

Lancaster, UK

 

 

 

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