Limited Public Forum

District social media pages are considered limited public forums intended for discussion related to the topic of the original post. East Central ISD does not remove comments based on viewpoint but reserves the right to moderate content that violates the guidelines outlined below.

Respectful Conduct

East Central ISD expects individuals interacting with district platforms to demonstrate behavior consistent with the standards of respect, responsibility and safety expected of members of the school community. The district’s conduct expectations are designed to support a safe and secure learning environment.

Comment Moderation

To maintain a safe and productive environment, East Central ISD reserves the right to hide or remove comments that include:

• Profanity, obscenity or vulgar language
• Personal attacks, harassment, threats or intimidation
• Hate speech or discriminatory language
• Misinformation that could cause harm or confusion
• Spam, advertising or repetitive postings
• Comments unrelated to the topic of the post
• Links to unsafe or malicious websites
• Content promoting violence, illegal activity or disruptive behavior
• Personally identifiable information about students or staff

Comments that involve harassment, discrimination, retaliation or bullying may be removed in accordance with district expectations for respectful conduct.

Users who repeatedly violate these guidelines may be restricted from participating on district social media platforms.

Student Privacy and FERPA

East Central ISD is committed to protecting student privacy.

Comments containing confidential student information, disciplinary information or other personally identifiable student data may be removed in accordance with federal privacy protections under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Parents, guardians and community members should avoid posting student information, photos or videos that may violate privacy protections or expose students to risk.

Use of Images and Recordings

The district recognizes that parents and visitors may take photos or videos at school-related events. However, individuals who record or distribute images or videos assume responsibility for ensuring that such material does not violate the privacy wishes of other families.

Responsibility for User Content

East Central ISD is not responsible for content posted by others on district social media sites or for any damages caused by delays in the removal of such content.

The district is also not responsible for users who voluntarily post personally identifiable information or for damages resulting from the public sharing of such information.

Monitoring of District Social Media

District social media sites will be monitored for appropriateness of postings for a limited period each day during regular school hours.

Public Record

Comments posted to East Central ISD social media pages may be considered public records and may be subject to disclosure under applicable public information laws.