Social Media Policy

Public communication connected with the Grey School should be accurate, responsible, and consistent with the trust placed in members of its community. This policy governs School-related publication and commentary, including posts made while representing GSW, by members of the Board of Directors, Administration, staff, Faculty, and pupils.

For this purpose, social media includes online and print publication, blogs, wikis, social networking services, public commentary, and interviews. The policy complements the School’s requirements concerning technology, email, confidentiality, conduct, and professional boundaries.

Scope and institutional representation

Members are free to publish and comment on School-related matters in accordance with this policy. It applies when the activity concerns the School or the person is speaking as a representative of GSW. It does not extend to unrelated personal activity merely because the author is a member of the School.

When publishing a personal view about a School-related matter, make clear that the view is your own. Speak officially for the Grey School only when authorized to do so and when sufficiently informed about the subject. A School title or membership does not by itself authorize a person to announce institutional decisions or speak on behalf of Administration.

The ethical standards of the School apply to the publication and commentary covered by this policy. Members should consider the accuracy, privacy, and likely effect of what they publish before making it public.

Confidential information

Members may discuss the School and their work appropriately, but must not publish confidential information. This includes unpublished operational details, enrollment information, unannounced School projects, and confidential financial information.

School business involving grades, academic records, disciplinary matters, private pupil concerns, or other confidential material must remain in official or approved channels. The detailed requirements in Contact and Mentoring apply to Faculty–pupil communication and private accounts.

Privacy

For School-facing accounts and role information covered by this policy, public profile information should be comparable to the information presented on the School website. Other settings that permit people to post information or view personal details should limit access appropriately. This guidance does not require unrelated personal activity or private accounts to be made public.

Consider whether a post reveals something that should remain private, including information about another member of the community. Exercise particular care where material could affect the safeguards governing adult contact with Psyche pupils. Publication can persist long after the original context has been forgotten.

Honesty and attribution

Be accurate about who is speaking, what is known, and whether a statement is official. Do not publish information that is dishonest, untrue, or misleading. If you have a vested interest in the subject being discussed, make that interest clear.

Members may use their real name or their magickal name on their own blogs or in publications outside the School. That permission concerns outside publication and does not alter the identification requirements for official School records or correspondence.

Protect personal details while communicating honestly. Transparency about one’s role does not require the disclosure of confidential information or another person’s private circumstances.

Copyright and School artwork

Respect copyright and the applicable principles of fair use or fair dealing. Quote only short excerpts of another person’s work and attribute them to the author or source. Linking to the original material is generally preferable to reproducing it.

These expectations apply to text, artwork, and photography. Do not use artwork to represent the Grey School unless the School has approved it for that purpose. Respect the School’s own copyrighted material and brands as well as the work of others.

Respectful public conduct

The Grey School community includes people with different customs, beliefs, values, and views. School-related discussion should reflect that diversity through courtesy and care. Members speaking as part of the Grey School community should not make statements that contradict or conflict with the School’s published position.

Ethnic slurs, offensive or defamatory comments, personal insults, obscenity, and attacks upon other members are unacceptable in the activity covered by this policy. Privacy and potentially inflammatory subjects, including politics and religion, require particular judgment. Personal views should be identified as personal views rather than presented as the School’s position.

Calls for, endorsements of, or incitement to political violence are absolutely prohibited and will result in immediate and permanent expulsion if made by a pupil, or termination if made by a Faculty member.

Consider how a public comment may be received outside its original setting. Criticism should identify the issue accurately and explain the concern. Profanity, slurs, ideological insults, or attempts to humiliate another person can damage both the discussion and the reputation of those taking part.

Misrepresentation and controversial matters

Members who encounter inaccurate statements about the Grey School may correct them respectfully and with supporting facts. Such misrepresentations should also be brought to Administration’s attention.

When discussing another person or organization, ensure that statements are factual and avoid disparagement. Do not use a public disagreement to settle personal grievances, provoke another party, or draw people into an escalating argument. A correction is most useful when it helps the audience understand the facts.

Correcting mistakes

If you publish an error, acknowledge it and correct it promptly. Where an earlier post is changed, make the correction clear so that readers can understand what was amended.

Take allegations of improper publication seriously, including concerns about another person’s copyrighted material or a potentially defamatory statement. Address the matter promptly; removing the material while the concern is resolved may prevent further difficulty.

Faculty and personal accounts

Faculty retain private lives and personal views. Their responsibilities toward current pupils nevertheless continue to be shaped by their teaching and institutional authority.

The specific rules in Contact and Mentoring govern personal-account relationships. Faculty and staff should not send, solicit, encourage, or routinely accept personal-account friend requests from current pupils, and should not use private social media for pupil engagement, mentoring, or School business.

A genuine personal relationship that predates the pupil’s enrollment is not automatically prohibited. School matters must remain in approved channels, and a relationship should be disclosed where the Faculty or staff member may grade, advise, supervise, discipline, recommend, or otherwise evaluate that pupil. The School may assign another person to the relevant responsibility when appropriate.

Professional or public Faculty pages, author and lecture pages, institutional email, approved platforms, and official School community spaces provide appropriate channels for Faculty–pupil interaction. Personal political or religious posts should not be carried into classes or School discussions merely because a pupil encountered them through a private connection.

Disclaimers and enforcement

A statement that the author is expressing a personal view rather than speaking for the School is encouraged where that distinction is relevant. A disclaimer does not remove the author’s responsibilities or guarantee protection from the consequences of publication.

Policy violations may result in disciplinary action and are handled by Administration according to the individual circumstances. The specific consequence stated above for political-violence advocacy remains applicable.