TS-9.3

1 Assess the threat Social media is a powerful way of communicating useful information to parents and pupils, but what happens when a disgruntled parent takes to the keyboard to vent their anger at you? Whether due to a particular lesson or a lunchtime incident, it can be easy to panic when the post appears. Get a clear understanding of what the post is saying and how much engagement it has. Commenting publicly on posts with low engagement can end up fanning the flames and cause others to get involved. If the post has few or no likes, comments or shares it may be best to let it slide, since it will probably soon drop off people’s timelines. 2 Where’s your complaints procedure? When a parent complains on social media, it’ll likely be the result of a snap decision fuelled by anger. If you’ve judged the post as potentially damaging to the school, it’s important to address the issue as soon as possible. Speak to the individual in question and point them towards your school’s formal complaints procedure and social media policy, both of which should be easily accessible to all parents online. Sometimes it’s a misunderstanding that can be ironed out over a phone call or face-to-face. If their behaviour continues, or you receive further abuse from the parent via social media on two or more occasions, you may wish to contact the police. 3 Be prepared While most schools will – and should – have a social media policy in place, it will often only cover staff and pupils, without stretching to parents. Though most schools will stipulate that all parents sign up to the school’s Code of Conduct, this will frequently not include social media conduct. That said, by ensuring all teachers observe best practice and adhere to your school’s social media policy, they’ll be equipped to deal with any issues as they arise. The policy ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kate Hindmarch is partner and head of employment at Langleys Solicitors, a firm responsible for helping to create one of the first UK academies; find out more at langleys.com Legal expert KateHindmarch offers some pointers for keeping your school community and reputation safe from keyboard warriors... Protect your social media presence 63 S O C I A L M E D I A should clearly outline the consequences for breaches, and what steps the school can take in the event of a social media issue. 4 Contact your solicitor If an individual is harassing the school or a teacher on social media, you may have no choice but to contact your solicitor and ask for their advice on the matter. They can help draft letters to the individual, advising them as to what laws they might have broken – potentially anything from defamation to breaches of confidentiality. If the post is more serious, your solicitor might advise taking legal action and applying for an injunction. 5 Apply for an injunction This will usually be a means of last resort. They’re an effective way of putting the brakes on parent-driven social media harassment, but can be tricky for schools to manage, not to mention costly. You can’t grant an injunction prohibiting a parent from entering or contacting a school, since they’ll still need to attend parents’ evenings and access important information about their child. If, however, a judge sees the parent’s behaviour as damaging to the school’s reputation, they’ll likely grant an injunction to put a stop to their negative social media behaviour. If you go down this route, be sure to act quickly, since any delay in proceedings could stop the courts from granting an injunction at all. 6 Advise your staff Advising all staff on how to protect themselves online is another great preventative method. This could include recommending that their social media profiles are made private, not befriending parents and pupils through social media channels and advising them on what to do if they receive unsolicited messages through social media. It’s also worth outlining the differences between professional and personal social media use. Another move can be to make it harder for parents and pupils to find certain individuals, such as asking teachers to flip the first and last letters of their names around or using nicknames. teachwire.net/secondary