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Committee recommends forwarding social‑media ban on posts that 'glorify unlawful violence' to full Caddo Parish board
Summary
A Caddo Parish School Board policy review committee voted to forward a recommended addition to policy EFAB that would bar employees from posting material that "supports, endorses or glorifies unlawful violence" if it disrupts district operations or risks harm; legal counsel noted strong First Amendment limits on enforcement.
The Caddo Parish School Board policy review committee voted to forward to the full board a recommended addition to employee policy EFAB that would prohibit employees from posting or sharing content that “supports, insights, or glorifies unlawful violence or threats of harm toward any individual or group” when such posts tend to disrupt workplace efficiency, undermine public trust, or pose a reasonable risk of harm.
The committee’s presenter, identified in the meeting as Miss McClain, said the proposed 11th stipulation would give administrators an additional enforcement tool for extreme cases: “Employees shall not post or share content that supports, insights, or glorifies unlawful violence or threats of harm toward any individual or group, which has a tendency to disrupt workplace efficiency, undermine public trust, and or poses a reasonable risk of harm to others.”
Committee members asked how broadly the new language would apply. Legal counsel cautioned that existing First Amendment jurisprudence imposes a narrow balancing test before disciplining speech. As the attorney explained to the committee, speech must "truly affect" an employee’s job performance or the district’s operations before it could form the basis for discipline, meaning enforcement will be limited to instances that are extreme and demonstrably harmful to district functions.
Staff also noted overlap between the proposal and existing employee‑conduct rules (policy GBRA), and said staff supports giving administrators clearer guidance when posts rise to the level of unlawful threats or materially impede operations.
During public comment, John Glover urged the committee to publish a redlined or strikeout version so employees and the public can see precisely what language would change. The committee chair said the recommendation will be presented to the full Caddo Parish School Board at its next meeting for further consideration.
Action taken: the committee moved, seconded, and voted to forward the recommended EFAB language to the full board for consideration; the audio/transcript shows some confusion in the recorded voice vote, and no definitive numeric tally is recorded in the committee minutes. The recommendation will appear on the board agenda at the next full meeting.
