| Defiance City School District |
| Bylaws & Policies |
7540.04 - STAFF NETWORK AND INTERNET ACCEPTABLE USE AND SAFETY
It is the intention of the Defiance City Schools Board of Education to protect the privacy of staff members who use the school computers, computer network, and electronic messaging systems to the maximum extent possible given the operational and security needs of the District. The purpose of this policy is to identify the limitations on this privacy and the general restrictions applying to the use of computers and electronic messaging systems of the District.
Acceptable and Unacceptable Uses
The computers, computer network and messaging systems of the Defiance City School District are intended for educational uses and work-related communications, Incidental use of the e-mail and voice mail systems by staff members for personal communications is permitted as long as such communications are limited in number and do not interfere with the primary intended uses of the system.
The following are uses which are unacceptable under any circumstances:
| A. | the transmission of any language or images which are of a graphic sexual nature | |
| B. | the transmission of jokes, pictures, or other materials which are obscene, lewd, vulgar, or disparaging of persons based on their race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation | |
| C. | the transmission of messages or any other content which would be perceived by a reasonable person to be harassing or threatening | |
| D. | uses that constitute defamation (libel or slander) | |
| E. | uses that violate copyright laws | |
| F. | uses that attempt to gain unauthorized access to another computer system or to impair the operation of another computer system (for example, the transmission of a computer virus or an excessively large e-mail attachment) | |
| G. | any commercial or profit-making activities | |
| H. | any fundraising activities, unless specifically authorized by an administrator | |
| I. | the publishing of classroom or student web pages that reveal any personal, identifiable information about the students of the District (Any published web pages must be approved by the District administrator.) |
Security and Integrity
Staff members shall not take any action which would compromise the security of any computer, network or messaging system. This would include the unauthorized release or sharing of passwords and the intentional disabling of any security features of the system.
Staff members shall not take any actions which may adversely affect the integrity, functionality, or reliability of any computer (for example, the installation of hardware of software not authorized by the System Administrator.
Staff members shall report to the System Administrator or a School District Administrator any actions by students which would violate the security or integrity or any computer, network or messaging system whenever such actions become know to them in the normal course of their work duties. This shall not be construed as creating any liability for staff members for the computer-related misconduct of students.
Right of Access
Although the Board of Education respects the natural desire of all persons for privacy in their personal communications, and will attempt to preserve this privacy whenever possible, the operational and security needs of the District’s computer network and messaging systems require that full access be available at all times. The School District therefore reserves the right to access and inspect any computer, device, or electronic media within its systems and any data, information, or messages which may be contained therein. All such data, information, and messages are the property of the School District and staff members should have no expectation that any messages sent or received on the School District’s systems will always remain private.
H.R. 4577, P.L. 106-554, Children's Internet Protection Act of 2000
47 U.S.C. 254(h), (1), Communications Act of 1934, as amended
20 U.S.C. 6801 et seq., Part F, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,
as amended
18 U.S.C. 2256
18 U.S.C. 1460
18 U.S.C. 2246
Revised 11/25/02