E-Mail Use Can Be Used in Legal Disputes

Passing Emails between and among colleagues on occasion is a common practice in this day of technological advancement. Almost every member of society has an email address and though many emails are sent on company time and are not always of a business nature. The question arises of whether this is a legal matter, reports one New York Injury Lawyer. Do employers have the right to censor email if it is on company time? Do all employees get censored at the same time or in the same manner?

These questions are answered in a case based in Spotsylvania County. A former teacher, parent volunteer, and PTA leader turned school board member has been censored due to her use of company email to speak with friends and colleagues about information unrelated to work. It is also alleged that the board member failed to report improper conduct between a teacher and administrator. The nature of the ‘improper conduct’ is not clearly defined. However this board member was censored because she did not report the conduct, used email for personal conversations, and opened the School Board up for legal action through her lack of reporting.

The improper conduct, though not clearly defined, is said to be about sexual misconduct or harassment between an administrator and teacher. The censured board member states that she was never trained on how to identify or handle such incidents and if she had been would have reported immediately, especially in light of the knowledge that a lawsuit could occur. The board member was censored for this report that did not occur by fellow board members in a secret meeting. Sources said that the meeting reasoning and the fact that it was held behind closed doors leaves little information about how issues were actually handled. The censored member admits that she may have messed up and that company email was probably not the best choice to communicate with friends and colleagues, but that she is not the only one that has ever done so and she had previous to this censorship switched to a personal email.

Though this former teacher has been censored though the Education Board she has not failed to speak with news sources.

If you or a family member finds yourself censored or injured because of medical malpractice, a construction accident, or workers’ compensation issue, contact legal counsel. Stephen Bilkis and Associates can help settle legal matters and fight for personal rights when a physical, emotional, or any type of injury has occurred