Lincoln Public Schools recognizes that all employees have the right to hold personal beliefs. Employees may express opinions concerning school District issues as well as other local, state and federal issues and will not be unlawfully discriminated against based on the protected exercise or expression of such beliefs or opinions.
While recognizing individual personal freedoms, these rights must be balanced with the mission of the School District. As such, personal freedoms may not be exercised in a manner which negatively affects working relationships or which negatively affects the ability of employees who work with students to serve as effective role models for our students. Instruction on political, religious and other sensitive issues is to be provided in a manner which allows students the opportunity to form or adhere to their own views; students must not be required to accept the views of school employees. In addition, the political accountability laws restrict use of school resources in the promotion of political views. As such, while a school employee may express a position with regard to political issues, employees may not use school personnel, resources, property or funds for such purposes or engage in such activity during hours in which the employee is being paid to work or when otherwise engaged in performance of school duties.