Godley ISD asks parents to acknowledge social media use 'pledge,' but says it's not a mandate

GODLEY -- A small school district serving students from Tarrant, Hood, and Johnson counties is asking parents to be kinder online.

However, making this pledge part of the school registration process for the upcoming year has stirred a social media controversy.

"It was definitely executed in a bad way, if that was their intent," said Godley ISD trustee Kayla Lain.

Lain said she had no vote or input on a page that appears during the district's online registration process. The page requires parents to acknowledge the following:

• "If I have an issue with something at school, I will not immediately post to social media. I will first contact the teacher or administrator to understand the full situation and all facts."

Additionally, the page states:

• "I will not post negative comments about other parents, other people's children, or school personnel without first having a conversation with the administrator."

"It sounds very controlling," Lain said. "It sounds like they're trying to silence or intimidate parents into being quiet over their concerns. My question for the school district is, what are you afraid of?"

According to a parent who complained, acknowledgment of the pledge is required to proceed with enrollment.

"I'm telling parents either to not sign and to ask for paper enrollment, or to sign up with 'I do not consent' in the signature line if they choose to do the Skyward enrollment, so they can move to the next page," the parent said.

When asked for clarification, a district spokesperson told CBS News Texas that the page in question is not a mandate but are a reminder of "best practices" when navigating social media.

"Completion of the document is only acknowledging that the parent or guardian has read or had an opportunity to read the guidelines," said Jeff Meador, Godley ISD's chief communications officer. "They do not have to agree with its contents."

Critics of the parental agreement argue that, regardless of the intent, the execution suggests the district is trying to prevent unfavorable commentary from appearing online.

"It sends the wrong message," Lain said, "as if they're trying to cover something up."

One parent who declined to be interviewed said she would "never go against" something the school district recommended and didn't want to comment because she "didn't want to get into the middle of it." Another parent, troubled by the agreement, called it an "overstep" but declined to be interviewed, citing fear of retaliation.