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SOCIAL MEDIA

As leaders of school districts, superintendents are responsible for communicating with staff, students and communities. Although public officials, superintendents also remain private citizens with their own constitutional rights. Sometimes those lines can blur, especially on social media: Is the superintendent speaking on behalf of the school system or themselves?

This question is important because under the First Amendment, the government (e.g., government officials) may not infringe upon an individual’s right to public comment based upon the viewpoint of a message, such as through the act of deleting critical posts and keeping positive ones.

Exercising Authority