With social media becoming an increasingly substantial part of normal day to day operations, the line between an individual’s personal, private social media profile or blog and the individual’s work life has blurred. More and more, reports of employers disciplining or terminating employees based on the employee’s Facebook posts or pictures, Tweets or blog posts. Natalie Munroe, a Pennsylvania teacher, filed suit against the school district from which she was fired for violating her right to free speech. Although the school board cites performance difficulties as the trigger for Munroe’s termination, her firing and subsequent lawsuit follow a long controversy between Munroe and the school district over her blog “Where Are We Going & Why Are We in this Hand Basket.”

In the blog started last year, the honors English teacher, complained about and criticized her students, the faculty and the administrators. In certain blog posts, Munroe even included comments that she wished she could have included on student evaluations, such as, “I hear the trash company is hiring.” and “Don’t you know how to raise kids?” When Munroe refused to take down the blog, she was suspended. Though her suspension was later lifted due to contract-stipulated rights, Munroe claims that the school district brought her back to fail.

Whatever else lawsuits such as Munroe’s may stand for, they reinforce the rule that individuals need to be careful with the information they publicly disclose.

Source: http://www.nataliemunroe.com/ http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/philly-area-teacher-fired-her-controversial-blog-sues-211207163.html

For more information, please visit our social media law service page.

Klemchuk LLP is an Intellectual Property (IP), Technology, Internet, and Business law firm located in Dallas, TX.  The firm offers comprehensive legal services including litigation and enforcement of all forms of IP as well as registration and licensing of patents, trademarks, trade dress, and copyrights.  The firm also provides a wide range of technology, Internet, e-commerce, and business services including business planning, formation, and financing, mergers and acquisitions, business litigation, data privacy, and domain name dispute resolution.  Additional information about the IP law firm and its IP law attorneys may be found at www.klemchuk.com.

Klemchuk LLP hosts Culture Counts, a blog devoted to the discussion of law firm culture and corporate core values with frequent topics about positive work environment, conscious capitalism, entrepreneurial management, positive workplace culture, workplace productivity, and corporate core values.