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Patchogue-Medford School District has deactivated its X (formerly Twitter) social media account following a stream of hostile comments directed at Superintendent Donna Jones and district staff.
The Board of Education voted Jan. 30 to terminate the district’s presence on X after determining that recent platform changes prevented the removal of disruptive and hateful content, violating the district’s social media policy.
“Comment sections under District posts have been streaming with hateful, ignorant comments directed at our Superintendent and staff, primarily from accounts that do not appear to be from Patchogue-Medford families,” the board stated in a letter to parents that has been posted on the district’s website.
The letter noted that the decision aligns with Board Policy 4430 on “Social Networking Sites,” which governs the district’s social media use to prevent disruptive conduct. The policy, the district said, requires the removal of inappropriate content, which is no longer possible under X’s current platform rules.
“Lies and disinformation concerning the district’s intentions to break the law cannot be permitted to continue unchallenged,” the board wrote, adding they “remain committed to taking action as necessary to maintain order and prevent disruption to the operations of the district and protect our students and staff.”
The board emphasized its primary purpose is establishing policies for orderly school operations and maintaining “an orderly, respectful environment that is conducive to learning.”
The board’s letter
Below is the Patchogue-Medford school board’s letter in its entirety:
“The primary purpose of a Board of Education is to establish policies governing the operations of a school district. The Patchogue-Medford UFSD Board of Education is committed to providing an orderly, respectful environment that is conducive to learning. To maintain a proper learning environment, it is necessary for members of the public to exhibit appropriate conduct on school property, at school functions and via school social media sites. Conduct that disrupts school programs, classes or other school activities is prohibited. To that end, the Board established Policy 4430 “Social Networking Sites” to govern the district’s use of various social networking sites to prevent conduct which is substantially disruptive to the operations of the district.
As many of you know, recent posts on the district’s “X” (formerly Twitter) account have been inconsistent with the Board’s commitment. Comment sections under District posts have been streaming with hateful, ignorant comments directed at our Superintendent and staff, primarily from accounts that do not appear to be from Patchogue-Medford families. Lies and Lies and disinformation concerning the district’s intentions to break the law cannot be permitted to continue unchallenged. Recent changes to the “X” platform, prohibit the removal of this type of content as required by Board Policy 4430. As such, consistent with Board Policy 4430, the Board of Education passed a resolution on January 30, 2025, directing that the district’s use of “X” be terminated immediately and the district’s “X” account be deactivated.
As always, we remain committed to taking action as necessary to maintain order and prevent disruption to the operations of the district and protect our students and staff.
Sincerely,
The Patchogue-Medford UFSD Board of Education”
Top photos: Patchogue-Medford School District announced it has deleted its X account due to the influx of hateful comments on the platform.