Email access cut to board members who refuse to sign

Failure to sign a Communications and Information Systems acknowledgment and consent form could cost a Lehighton Area School District board member his district email account.

Lehighton’s board voted 5-4 last week to terminate any board member’s district internet and/or email accounts until they sign the form.

“I’ve asked for several months to have it reviewed and signed by individuals,” board President Larry Stern said before the vote. “The policy is in place so people understand the limitations and obligations they have in using the service.”

Going into Monday’s meeting, David Bradley, Gail Maholick and Richard Beltz had not signed the consent form. Beltz signed it at the meeting and Maholick said she has since done the same.

“I signed it against my better judgment,” Maholick said in an email Thursday. “My daughter who did IT said it was not updated and took away my rights if there was a security break.”

Bradley, meanwhile, said the CIS policy needs to be revised.

“It should be fixed before anyone signs it, including our staff,” he said in an emailed statement. “The policy needs to be rewritten. The policy has the government relinquishing their responsibility of oversight to the very entity it is supposed to oversee. It empowers and authorizes the superintendent to potentially remove due process rights of students, staff, and even visitors at a football game. Therefore, like so many other school laws, this policy essentially removes individuals’ federally protected rights of privacy, due process, and the search and seizure laws.”

Bradley added, “My dad fought for our rights to have due process — which includes being fully informed of our legal rights and privileges and anything determined by the government to be unlawful or considered ‘misconduct.’ Additionally, school boards cannot create policies and regulations that are contrary in any way to state and/or federal laws. To just sign away our freedoms for some false promises of security is un-American. I love America too much not to fight to protect the legal rights of our students, staff and citizens in our public schools. That is how elected and appointed school board directors show their care for the children.”

Bradley did not specify whether he had signed the consent form since Monday’s meeting.

Others defended the policy, saying it puts proper controls on the internet and email service the district offers.

“Everyone else has to sign it including employees and students,” district resident Gloria Bowman said. “It’s a safety feature.”

Director Andrew Yenser said board members are setting a positive example for others in the district by signing it.

A complete copy of the CIS policy is available at https://bit.ly/2An1yzM by choosing policy 815.