Melissa Goldman
Dear Dr. Steinhaus, President Ben-Naim, and members of the Board,
I am writing in reference to item 7.6 on the consent agenda, new policy 4034.1 on employee speech. This only just came to my attention, and I am concerned that the policy, as it currently reads, is still unclear and too vague for fair and appropriate implementation. Two statements worry me in particular.
At the end of the second paragraph, the new policy states, “District employees should avoid overt expressions of their personal political, religious, or other beliefs during their duty time or while acting in their professional capacity.” This language is so broad, especially the mention of “other beliefs,” that I worry almost anything I say in class could be found in violation of this policy.
I am also concerned about the end of the third paragraph: “However, an employee’s public expressions, including social media, may be held to workplace standards of conduct when the public expressions undermine the employee’s effectiveness in the workplace or are disruptive to the educational process.” This statement does not clarify, however, who or what determines a disruption. In its current form, this policy is likely to create greater disruptions due to basic differences of opinions.
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I worry that this policy would open me to complaints and discipline, whether because I introduce factual information about same-sex relationships in Ancient Rome or because my participation in community events, such as Los Alamos Pride, is seen as distracting. While I currently feel supported by administration at the site, district, and state level, a change at any level could see this policy weaponized against members of underrepresented identities in particular.
I would ask the Board to consider tabling a vote on this policy until it can be revised to make it more specific and to ensure that it does not have unintended consequences.
Sincerely,
Melissa J. Goldman