What Happens in Cyberspace Stays in Cyberspace An eWorld Survival Guide #avoidlegalpitfalls #noteacherproblems COPPA CIPA HIPPA FERPA The Social Media Obsession First, lets debunk the free speech myth: Many teachers believe they have the absolute First Amendment right to post anything they want on social networking sites, including party pix and diatribes about the boss. After all, theyre on their own time and using their own resources. Sadly, the courts say otherwise. Thanks to Facebook and MySpace, what used to be private is now very public. And thats the problem, particularly for young teachers: Some seem oblivious to the devastating consequences of posting really stupid things in cyberspace. The exploding popularity of these sites has engendered a prurient interest in teachers private lives by both school administrators and the media. Newspapers across the country have begun trolling social networking sites for embarrassing and titillating postings by local teachers. . from Cyberspeak No Evil an article by Mike Simpson, 2010 Is Your Speech Protected by the First Amendment? * Spoken in the capacity as a private citizen? *About a matter of public concern? *Interest in speaking out outweighs Districts interest in efficient and undisrupted operation of the schools? The Drunken Pirate