(LEX 18) — A hot topic in Kentucky, Senate Bill 181 limits communication between students and teachers.
"We knew that there was a lot of ambiguity around this bill," said Kentucky Education Association President Joel Wolford.
To discuss the bill, Wolford and other KEA leaders invited KEA members to a virtual town hall meeting, scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m.
"They have questions, you know, they're just concerned that they'll do something wrong and put their job in jeopardy, but at the same time they want to be able to serve their students," Wolford said.
The bill mandates that all electronic communication between school staff, coaches, volunteers and students must be conducted through designated, traceable platforms.
"Hopefully we can clear up some of the questions that they have around this and what they are allowed to do and what they shouldn't be doing," Wolford noted.
In June, Senator Lindsey Tichenor, who sponsored the bill, made it clear what she wanted to address in an interview with LEX18.
"The growing problem of grooming that we have happening within our school system," Tichenor said.
While schools adjust, an online petition created by the 2024 Kentucky Teacher of the Year as recognized by KEA has received thousands of signatures.
As for the bill's intent, according to the president of KEA?
"It was to protect students, and to be quite frank about it, it also protects educators from false accusations," Wolford added.
But the petition, titled "Take Action on SB 181 Now," criticizes the new law for creating confusion and fear among school employees.
"What we're going to do is continue to work with the bill's sponsors," Wolford said.
As for private schools, there are no restrictions on teacher and student communication.
