With the new school year about to get underway, the Patchogue-Medford Superintendent of Schools and Board of Education are laying down the law on how to engage with the District, and with one another, on social media.
While the District has always permitted comments, the Facebook page is not intended to serve as a forum for discourse or to engage the community about District issues or policies. Public meetings are the place for formal comment and Q&A.
The District said that during the last school year they saw a disturbing and disappointing increase in “disruptive and derogatory comments” posted on the district’s social media pages. “This page is not meant to allow hurtful and disruptive comments and personal attacks directed at specific students or District staff.”
Marc A. Negrin, President of Patchogue-Medford School District Board of Education wrote to the community at-large saying, “In response to this development, the District has developed an official commenting policy that will serve as the guideline for future commenting by visitors to our pages.”
“The District closely monitors comments and reserves the right to remove comments that are beyond the scope of the forum and which are disruptive to the operations of the District,” Negrin wrote. “We will also use a standard word filter that will block disruptive statements including those considered derogatory, inflammatory, punitive, vulgar, discriminatory, racist, antisemitic, or which discriminate, or bully based on race, religion, heritage, ethnic group, sexuality, or gender identity.”
This policy will be effective immediately and visible on each social media page. If comments of a harmful and disruptive nature continue, additional measures may be taken to limit commenting on the District's social media pages.
The Patchogue-Medford School District Board of Education members are:
Marc A. Negrin, President, Diana Andrade, Vice President, Thomas P. Donofrio, Kelli Anne Jennings, Jennifer A. Krieger, Francis I. Salazar, Bernadette M. Smith, Donna Jones, Ed.D.