You are a middle school principal in a working-class conservative community in the Midwest. One of your tenured teachers placed a series of very negative comments about you and the school on her Facebook page. These comments were made over the weekend. A number of your students informed you that they read the teachers comments. In fact, you heard a group of students chatting and laughing about the comments. Additionally, you receive phone calls from a number of parents who conveyed how negative and unprofessional the teachers comments were.

Discussion Questions

How would you react to parents and students?

How do you approach the teacher who is allegedly responsible for the negative comments?

If evidence reveals that the teacher is responsible for these comments, what action would you take?

What options are available to you in addressing this situation?

What precautions must be taken to ensure that the teachers rights are protected?

How do you balance the rights of the teacher against the need to protect the integrity of the school?

Please discuss the probable consequences of each option you identified.

What is your final decision? Provide a rationale for your decision.