Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1540396
ONLINE SAFETY 14 ADVOCATE | FALL 2025 14 ADVOCATE | FALL 2025 In recent months, high-profile political events have triggered a disturbing rise in online harassment and threats against our members. As we confront these threats together, review this guide for key steps to protect yourself and your family. Preventative Steps: • Understand First Amendment protections. e First Amendment protects public employees from retaliation for protected speech. However, on-duty speech is generally not protected, and educators may be targeted for speech outside of duty hours that is perceived as disruptive to the school environment. If you face potential disciplinary action as a result of your speech or advocacy, contact your local union leadership and AEA immediately. • Review privacy settings and content on social media accounts. Strict privacy settings can ensure that your posts are only accessible to those you know and trust. If you have a public profile, review old posts and keep in mind that members of the public may resurface posts or comments from any time period. Want to brush up on skills for protecting yourself online? Enroll in the Ethical Use of Technology online course at bit.ly/azlearnupon For educators currently experiencing threats or harassment, NEA recommends the following. • Document harassment by taking screenshots of threaten- ing messages or posts, including the timestamp and URL, and logging other threatening communications, such as phone calls. is preserves evidence of the harassment for use in legal proceedings or school disciplinary actions. Make sure to document your own posts before deletion to protect yourself against false accusations. • Consider blocking or muting harassers on social media platforms. Blocking an account means that the account will not be able to send messages to you, and you will not see any posts (including prior posts) from that account. Muting is another option that will preserve messages but hide them from your view; a harasser will also not know if you have muted them. • Manage compromised personal information. Doxxing is the practice of publicly revealing another's private or iden- tifying information on the internet, generally with mali- cious intent. If your personal address or other identifying information is shared publicly without your consent, use the website or social media platform procedures to remove the information as quickly as possible. Change passwords if any online accounts have been compromised. Alert Your Union: AEA may be able to help you engage with your employer and connect you with information and resources. Your local can help check your negotiated agreements and school board policies for relevant protections. Work with your local to demand that your employer provide the required protections and to file a grievance if the employer fails to comply with your negotiated agreement. Engaging with your employer: • Report harassment to school officials. An employer has an affirmative obligation under federal law to investigate and address certain kinds of harassment, even from third par- ties—but only if the employer knows about the harassment. Immediately reporting any issues ensures that the school takes steps to prevent further harassment. • Demand protections from your negotiated agreement and school board policies. Negotiated agreements may include provisions addressing bullying or harassment. If the employer refuses to provide these protections aer your request, file a grievance using the procedures outlined in the agreement. School board policies may also cover bullying and harassment, as well as workplace safety and abuse of school IT resources. • Know your rights. State laws prevent the dismissal of con- tinuing educators without cause. Legal protections require that certain due process rights be guaranteed to anyone who has been on a certified contract with a district for three years or more. Reach out to AEA to discuss the protections available to you. • File a state discrimination complaint. Federal and state laws require employers to protect employees from hostile work environments known to the employer and prohibit employers from retaliating against employees who report discrimination. Interacting with law enforcement: Arizona criminal law protects you from threats, harassment, and stalking when someone repeatedly engages in illegal communications. Local law enforcement may be able to intervene to protect you against physical harm. Protecting Yourself from Digital reats