CASSOPOLIS — The Facebook flap which thrust Lewis Cass Intermediate School District into a firestorm of media coverage wasn’t mentioned during Wednesday evening’s Board of Education meeting.
Emerging from a half-hour closed session for his superintendent evaluation, Robert Colby stopped briefly to talk to WSBT-TV and Leader Publications.
“As I’m sure you’re aware, I’m not going to discuss a personnel matter in the media. That’s not going to happen.
“What I will do,” Colby said, “is comment on factual matters that have been reported. Kimberly Hester has not been terminated, Kimberly Hester never was asked for her Facebook password and she has had the ability to come back to work since September of 2011 and hasn’t.
“I’m not aware of any legal action against the district. The only proceedings we’re engaged with are not court proceedings, they’re proceedings as a function of the collective bargaining agreement.”
Hester, an instructional paraprofessional for two years in an emotionally impaired classroom for eight students grades K-4, attended the meeting with her mother, Lisa.
“The other factual piece is that it was reported two area legislators were poised to write legislation using her story to support their legislation regarding privacy and social media, and that’s not the case  — and I have that in writing from those legislators.”
Colby declined to clarify what transpired if Hester was not asked for her password.
The five-member board of President Don Curtis, Tom Atkinson, David Gordon and Pat Adams — Ann Simmons was absent — gave a second reading to policy revisions to reflect changing laws, none pertaining to social media.
“In terms of social media, the national issue I see in the media is privacy in terms of employers asking for access to Facebook pre-employment,” Colby said.