Missouri Has Banned Teachers from Being Facebook Friends with Students

Here's a primer on what's illegal in Missouri (some cities): owning a PVC pipe, having oral sex, minors buying lighters, minors buying cap pistols and now student-teacher Facebook friendships. Seriously, that's banned.

Missouri State Bill 54, which was just signed by Governor Jay Nixon and goes into effect August 28th, says:

"Teachers cannot establish, maintain, or use a work-related website unless it is available to school administrators and the child's legal custodian, physical custodian, or legal guardian. Teachers also cannot have a non work-related website that allows exclusive access with a current or former student."

Source

Well this is a weird law to pass...kind of. While I understand the reasoning, to prevent illicit Student/Teacher relationships, I can't help but wonder how much of a problem it really is and how is this going to curb the issue when the student sees the teacher everyday. Hell, illicit Student/Teacher relationships occurred before the internet.

As well, what of genuine scholarly communications? I have an ex girlfriend who was very close to several of her teachers and has friended them on facebook...not for anything kinky but because she respected them as professionals and wanted to glean as much as she could (granted there were humorous communications, according to her, that centered on who could gross the other out the most with images).

Personally, I think this is a knee jerk reaction to a few isolated instances and to set a precedent such as this has implications for employers to restrict social networking for a variety of reasons. Why not prohibit co-workers from interacting with each other on social networks to avoid sexual harassment (I have another ex who friended her boss on facebook and he used it to be a bit too forward...she told me about it at the time and I was quite disturbed about it but she worked it out)?

More legislation to protect the offense of perception...

There is no reason for teachers and students to be pals on facebook and it opens the way for more possible problems than benefits. There's nothing a teacher needs to do with a student outside of the school environment. This same thing exists among adults with alot of companies forbidding outside work fraternization between management and workers.

It prevents possible misunderstandings or acutal problems. Basically if the can't communicate what they need to through the school environment than it doesn't need to be communicated. I can see all sorts of problems with this from illegal things to accusations of teachers playing favorites.

This was a good call.

It would seem like a more appropriate thing to do...its one thing to like yer teacher, but following them on facebook? A little much don't you think?

Facebook this, Facebook that.

Can I say enough already?

It is like you people are brainwashed, and do not even know it.....

Seriously, this is an issue?

How absolutely ridiculous. This law makes the presumption that ALL teachers are sexual predators and punishes them all for that presumption. I expect that it will be overturned on first amendment grounds rather handily (freedom of association is a hell of a thing)

Well thats just plain wrong, I like being able to chat with my prof over facebook when Im working on assignements and im completly stumpted and need some words of wisdom.

Originally posted by TheWalkingFox
How absolutely ridiculous. This law makes the presumption that ALL teachers are sexual predators and punishes them all for that presumption. I expect that it will be overturned on first amendment grounds rather handily (freedom of association is a hell of a thing)

I disagree.

Boundaries are healthy.

Teachers are not your friend. They are your teacher.

Same is true of parents trying to be their kid's buddy or the boss, etc;

The whole social control revolving around the anti-social networking has to stop. Friend is the wrong term for a facebook linkage. It is more like a person subscription.

Although I can see an argument for not fraternizing with your students..to ban communications with former students has to be a violation of the teacher's rights. It is just ridiculous. If I teach for 30 years in a town of 6000 people..it is probable that I have just been banned from communicating with a good portion of the people in my town. May as well ban them from using a computer too.

Peace

reply to post by MemoryShock


I'm a teacher and I wouldn't dream of having any of my students on Facebook. Quite a few have tried to friend me or have asked me in class could they and I have always refused. I don't need them knowing any more about me than what I deem is appropriate. I don't put a lot of personal stuff on Facebook but I still don't need them reading what I do post.

Saying that though, legislating it is just another example of the nanny state telling us what we can and can't do. If a teacher wants to friend some of their students, that should be their choice. I wouldn't and don't do it but I don't speak for everyone.

Ridiculous. If you think Facebook is what cause student/teacher relations, you're sorely mistaken. Plus. this clearly breaches the 1st ammendment.

and as for a teachers not your friend? speak for yourself, I have friends who are my teachers. Nothing wrong with it.

Originally posted by michaelmcclen
Well thats just plain wrong, I like being able to chat with my prof over facebook when Im working on assignements and im completly stumpted and need some words of wisdom.

This is why proffesors supply contact e-mails through the school.

If your school doesn't it would be an exception.

Reply to post by TheWalkingFox

I agree with the fox.

If teachers and students are going to have inappropriate relationships, this law will stop it just about as well as current laws do, and it violates rights on top of that.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

reply to post by Lemon.Fresh


It will also stop possible lawsuits for whatever reason that may happen in the future. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to come up with some scenarios that could lead to a teacher or the school district being taken into court because of something on facebook.

This doesn't sound like something to limit sexual relations as much as it does limiting liability.

I don't understand why this has to be a "law"- shouldn't this already be ''school policy"??

I don't care if it isn't exactly healthy for teachers and students to maintain friendships on social networking websites and what not, this is another example of government legislating morality. What happens when someone decides to violate this law? Will those involved be arrested? Ridiculous. America has a large enough prison population. We need less inmates not more.

Originally posted by ForeverDusk
I don't care if it isn't exactly healthy for teachers and students to maintain friendships on social networking websites and what not, this is another example of government legislating morality. What happens when someone decides to violate this law? Will those involved be arrested? Ridiculous. America has a large enough prison population. We need less inmates not more.

Tell you what. If you can promise that the school district will never be sued over something that happens on facebook than i'm sure they would do away with the law. If it's against the law the teacher would be held accountable but possibly not the school district.

Are you willing to say that it will never happen?

That's unrealistic if banning face book is to create a distance from Teachers and students. Social functions such as church, community gatherings, etc. bring teachers in contact with students and their families all the time and there are bound to be connections made outside the school. I played in a band with one of my teachers and was employed by another in his sideline business outside teaching.

Expecting teachers to divorce themselves from the community because they may interact with a student or their families is stupid.

And face it Facebook is a way for the community to be connected both economically and socially. Separate emails are for the birds.

It seems that teachers are the new scapegoats; blaming societies ills on them is so convenient.

Teaching has always been one of the noblest profession, if its not for the teachers there would never be doctors, or nurses, or lawyers, seamen or even teachers, too. Teachers are neither just mere teachers nor only meager earning teachers but educators. Educators from whom we owe our respective professions and borrow our temporal knowledge.. For years these has been what we knew about them, It's disappointing whenever you'll have to hear news as this, A busy week for teacher banning in UK and Australia. The restrictions were each imposed for several reasons.

I have to say, being a Mom that it would be creepy to me for one of my children to be friends with one of their teachers on facebook. I would have to keep a close eye on that one.

While I understand the reason for this law, I don't like the fact that it restricts freedom of speach. Perhaps this is something that schools do not want to become an issue for liabilty reasons.

Student / teacher relationships happend before facebook, so in my opinion this is silly.