Carol Thebarge, a substitute teacher in Claremont, New Hampshire was terminated the moment she refused to unfriend her students from her Facebook contacts.
Carol, 79, was let go from teaching in Stevens High School when she ignored the school policy on social networking and internet use. The policy states that any teacher and any other school employee are not allowed to have students as friends or followers on social media like Twitter, Google Plus, Facebook, etc.
According to Carol, she felt sad because her part of being let go is not how she planned to end her 35 years of service to the teaching profession. She said she chose not to unfriend her students from her Facebook friend list since they loved her posts. She also believes that her posts are not, in any way, inappropriate or unethical. Instead, she believes that her posts help build character and boost a person’s spirit. Her posts include pictures of her cats, her grandchildren, and her thought and wisdom gained through her years of experiences living in this world.
Claremont Superintendent Middleton McGoodwin said Thebarge had to be dismissed, as she chose to decline to follow written school board policy. He also added that the officials had already given Thebarge a memo several years ago regarding the same matter.
The school management has been observing strict implementation of the policy on using social networking sites since it may result in inappropriate issues about the boundaries between students and employees.
Another reason for the strict implementation is the recent arrest of a Math teacher, Christopher LeBlanc, for having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old student. LeBlanc also taught in Stevens High School.
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Fore more information, please visit the following related links:
1. https://www.facebook.com/carolandemile?fref=ts
2. http://www.wmur.com/news/claremont-math-teacher-accused-of-having-sex-with-student-in-classroom/25134970#!ZozdU
3. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-04-19/facebook-teachers-social-students/54416058/1
4. http://www.businessinsider.com/carol-thebarge-fired-from-claremont-hs-2014-4
5. http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/04/07/nh-teacher-fired-for-refusing-to-unfriend-students-on-facebook/
6. http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/04/07/nh-teacher-fired-for-refusing-to-unfriend-students-on-facebook/
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