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Public commenters clash over teacher social media, doxxing and discipline; speakers cite staff-ethics policy
Summary
During public comment speakers urged the board both to hold staff accountable for social-media posts and to protect staff from threats and doxxing; commenters cited Board policy 7-300 and the state code of ethics while some speakers warned against punitive responses that could violate First Amendment rights.
A series of public commenters at the Sept. 16 Wake County Board of Education meeting addressed teacher conduct and the district’s response to employees’ off-duty speech, prompting competing calls for discipline and for protecting staff First Amendment rights.
Diane Chadler and other speakers alleged inappropriate and racially offensive social-media posts by a Millbrook High School staff member they identified as Abdul Aziz, calling on the board to remove the employee from the classroom. Chadler read portions of a public post she said was visible before it was made private and said the post did not meet the board’s standards for staff conduct.
Several other speakers urged restraint and protection for district staff. Jen Smith said she came to ‘‘speak up in support of Wake County staff’’ and warned against doxxing employees who do not express grief or political alignment in the same way others do. Emily Fleek, a former teacher who spent 14 years in Wake County classrooms, urged the board to trust principals to handle classroom issues and warned against punishing teachers for lawful off-duty speech if they are teaching required curriculum.
Speakers on both sides cited district policy 7-300 (staff responsibility and ethics) and the North Carolina code of ethics for educators (policy 0.0602) when describing expectations for employee conduct. Public commenters also raised concerns about outside groups such as Moms for Liberty and the role of social media in amplifying calls for discipline — and some speakers warned that threatening or doxxing staff is harmful and undermines school-community trust.
Board members and the superintendent acknowledged the tension between enforcing staff-conduct policies and protecting constitutional speech rights. Superintendent Taylor said the district will ‘‘side on what the law allows us to do’’ and emphasized balancing classroom practice, community standards and legal protections.
No personnel actions were taken in open session. Several speakers asked the board to rely on established complaint and grievance processes and to ensure principals have the discretion to review classroom practice and take appropriate action when necessary.
