More schools implementing social media policies

Several southeastern Minnesota schools are following the lead of the Hayfield School District which requires student-athletes to agree not to use social media to abuse classmates or sports rivals.

Since Hayfield implemented its policy late last year, four other Hiawatha Valley League school have gotten on board. Kasson-Mantorville Superintendent Mark Matuska says it's getting tougher and tougher to manage the students' activities, especially outside of school hours.

The policies outline punishments for students using social media, such as Facebook or Twitter, to abuse classmates or sports rivals. The policies also prohibit any photos or posts about alcohol, tobacco and drugs and bans racially or sexually explicit language. Penalties range from verbal warnings to suspensions.

The Post-Bulletin says Kasson-Mantorville, Stewartville, Cannon Falls and Zumbrota-Mazeppa have followed Hayfield's lead.

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Information from: Post-Bulletin