Resident urges board to follow social media policy as district changes communications role

A Newport Richey resident urged the school board to follow its social media policy and allow public comment on district social platforms after the district proposed updating the communications director position.

Tory Tiffany told the board she was speaking on agenda item 11.2, the chief communications and community engagement officer position, and cited School Board Policy 7544, “use of social media,” which the commenter said authorizes use of approved social media platforms and treats those platforms as limited public forums. Tiffany said she and other citizens are “unable to comment, and are being censored and excluded from public discourse on these platforms,” and asked whether the superintendent intends to follow Policy 7544 and allow public engagement on district platforms. “I’m respectfully requesting here tonight for the superintendent and board to please support the constitution in which you swore an oath to, and respect citizens' First Amendment rights by following the law and your own use of social media policy 7544,” Tiffany said.

The public comment preceded a staff presentation later in the meeting that recommended promotion of Dr. Tony Zetsche to the chief communications and community engagement officer role and described that role’s responsibilities. The transcript records the public comment and the staff recommendation; there was no formal board vote on the communications position recorded in the portion of the meeting covered in the transcript.