The Hall County School District in Gainesville, GA has announced a new policy that hopes to separate truth from falsehoods regarding HCSD on social media platforms.
“Integrity matters to your school district. Some people believe they can post anything on the internet. We disagree.”
What about the First Amendment? The SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) in an opinion offered by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes suggested that there are limits to one’s expression of speech. In explaining that all speech is not protected, Justice Holmes used the example of shouting ‘FIRE’ in a crowded theater. The resulting chaos from one’s careless words can threaten others.
While other cases since the original 1919 ruling in Schenck v. United States have manicured the position in some ways, (i.e., Brandenburg v. Ohio, 1969), we still operate under the premise that one is responsible for his/her words and that words creating a disturbance in operating a school are inappropriate and not protected.
Hall County’s efforts are about safety. Rumors and falsehoods make our schools less safe. Individuals who join with our schools in efforts to support safety are a critical part of our community approach to student welfare and success. If ANY individual sees or hears something, they SHOULD report it… to the school in question, though, not to the social media platform. What they’ve heard MIGHT be something that can help children, teenagers, and adults working in our schools be safer. But it might, if it’s not true or if it’s been addressed already, take attention away from a focus on safety and place it instead into rumors.
Here’s hoping that Hall County Schools will lead the way in blending transparency, safety, and integrity with their upcoming efforts.
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