Social Media Commenting Guidelines

  • All of Pickerington Schools social media pages will focus on celebrating and supporting our schools, students and teachers, as well as sharing important news and communicating event information. We encourage you to share your support, connect with other supporters, and visit frequently for news and updates.

    For purposes of these guidelines, social media are defined as Internet-based applications that facilitate communication (e.g., interactive/two-way conversation/dialogue) and networking between individuals or groups, but do not include sending or receiving email through the use of district-issued email accounts.

    While we encourage healthy and productive dialogue on social media, our first priority is to protect students, staff, board members and community members. The district has the right and obligation to remove any social media posts or comments that do not adhere to Pickerington Schools District Board Policies, Student and Staff Technology Acceptable Use and Safety policies, Student Code of Conduct, and the commenting guidelines below. Comments or posts that do not adhere to district policies and regulating guidelines will be addressed in accordance with board policies, subject to potential discipline and/or remediation, including, but not limited to, the blocking of the social media user from further accessing the district’s social media outlets. 

    Under no circumstances will the district tolerate cyberbullying, cyberstalking, harassment, intimidation, and/or posts or comments that are discriminatory, racist, sexist, abusive, profane, violent, obscene, political in nature, spam, off-topic, contain falsehoods, or that libel, incite, threaten or make ad hominem attacks on students, employees, guests, board members or other individuals.  

    The district does not permit posts or comments that sell or promote products or other commercial ventures. However, this does not preclude district staff from their use of social media to increase awareness of district programs and activities, as well as to promote achievements of staff and students pursuant to board policy and subject to the superintendent's advance approval.

    Participation in the district’s social media outlets is at the discretion and risk of the individual. Each social media participant is expected to take personal responsibility for the individual’s social media identity, including, but not limited to, comments, username and any information provided. Please be aware that all content and posts are also bound by the social media outlet’s terms of service, such as Facebook’s Terms of Service.

    The district encourages user interaction on its social pages, but is not responsible (beyond its monitoring obligations) for comments or postings made by visitors to the page. Additionally, the appearance of external links, as posted by fans of the district’s page or other social media users, does not constitute endorsement on behalf of the district. In most, if not all cases, external links posted by social media users will be removed.

    Social media users are reminded to not provide private or personal information (phone, email, addresses, etc.) regarding oneself or others on the district’s social media outlets. Any posts or comments containing personal information of this nature will be promptly removed and/or hidden. 

    If you have questions, please email plsd_communications@plsd.us