Dive Brief:

• A policy that would allow professors and staff at  public universities and colleges in Kansas to be fired for improper social media posts was approved by a committee of the Kansas Board of Regents.
• The unanimous vote ran counter to overwhelming opposition for the measure — of the 172 public comments submitted regarding the proposed policy, only a handful were in support, the Lawrence Journal-World reported.
• The proposal will face a vote before the full Board of Regents on May 14.

Dive Insight:

The speech defined by the policy as improper is pretty broad and includes speech that could incite violence, discloses confidential information, or “is contrary to the best interests of the employer.” Kansas has six state universities and about 30 community colleges and technical schools. Opponents argue that the policy could impede free speech, hurt academic freedom, and make it harder to recruit faculty to Kansas state schools. The regents decided to develop a social media policy after an angry, legitimately inappropriate anti-NRA tweet in September by Kansas University journalism professor David Guth in the wake of the Washington Navy Yard shootings.