Occasionally, controversial political issues, elections, and/or religious and social issues bleed over into the workplace and/or classroom, creating a distraction to the learning environment. PLEASE NOTE that this document is not inclusive, but rather a general overview of considerations and possibilities. Please contact Human Resources or the Legal Services if you have any questions or need clarification on a specific issue. This overview is designed to ensure that we are guided by the 10 Ethical Principles and The Leander Way, and that we are providing a safe working and learning environment for our students and staff.
As employees of Leander ISD and citizens, we all appreciate having freedom of speech and expression, which is guaranteed by the United States and Texas constitutions. Yet, as public education employees there are limits to our freedom of speech, which can be restricted by time, place and manner. Employees, while on duty, may have restrictions on speech depending on their assigned duties. With that in mind, employees should always try to align their speech and behavior with the guidelines laid out in the Educator Code of Ethics.
All employees should be mindful to avoid speech or behavior that could be harassing or unwelcome to those around them, or inappropriate for the workplace. Employees who are on break or off-duty may engage in discussions on newsworthy topics with other employees, while being mindful of who is around them when talking about such matters and ensuring students are not involved in these discussions.
At all times employees must respect and maintain the confidentiality of student information when talking with other employees, parents, or community members on- or off-duty. Public school employees should never use their position, and access to students, to spread their personal messages to students. Employees should also keep in mind that parents send their children to school with the expectation that employees will allow the parent to take the lead when talking about non-curricular subjects, including controversial or personal matters.
LISD prohibits discrimination, including harassment, on the basis of age, armed forces service, disability, pay, genetic information, national origin, pregnancy, race/color, religion, or sex as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; as amended; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act; Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended; and Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
Applicable Board Policies:
The information contained in this document is not legal advice. Due to the complexities of the First Amendment and other rights enjoyed by students and staff, the legalities of each individual situation cannot possibly be addressed in one document. In the event that an issue arises concerning the right to Freedom of Speech or other rights afforded under the Constitution, please contact the office of School/Community Relations, Human Resources or Legal Services
