NEWMAN – School district officials are striking back against an on-line opinion forum which is frequently critical of the district and its leadership.

Superintendent Rick Fauss confirmed last week that the Newman-Crows Landing district has blocked access from all district computers to Soapbox, the Mattos Newspapers on-line forum.

Fauss said the district continues to allow access to the Mattos Newspaper web site, but not to the Soapbox – which he dismissed as an inaccurate gossip blog with no educational value.

“These are computers bought for a purpose, and we intend to keep that purpose clear, not give people opportunities to go onto a gossip blog and make their feelings known. They can do that at home,” the superintendent stated. “It’s a shame we have to have that kind of rumor mill going on.”

Fauss said the district blocks social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. He said he views Soapbox in the same vein. “It is an opportunity for people to get on there and kind of gossip on a blog, and talk about what they like or don’t like. I don’t think that is good use of district employee time or district equipment.”

Some of the posts, Fauss added, have been sharply – and unfairly - critical of district leaders.

“I have had a lot of people hurt over that thing. Two of our best administrators were pretty broken up by some of those entries, and I take that personally,” he commented. “I have a hard time seeing people suffer who are doing their best.”

Fauss said another employee put in a request to block the site, and he concurred.

Mattos Newspapers Publisher Susan Mattos said she disagreed with the district’s actions.

“As an employer, I certainly understand that the district wants to insure that its staff members are focused on the job at hand and not spending an undue amount of work time on the Internet,” she stated. “But at the same time, I am concerned that our site and ours alone was blocked. That creates the appearance that the district is trying to stem the flow of information and opinions which are often critical.”

Fauss said any suggestion along those lines was unfounded.

“We have better use of our time,” he stated. “We have things that we need to be doing that are educationally sound other than chasing rumors.”

A public agency taking steps to block a newspaper opinion forum is rare if not unique, said staff members of the California Newspaper Publishers Association, who could not recall a similar situation occurring.

Officials with several area school districts – including Gustine, Merced Union High, Modesto City Schools and Los Banos – said they block access to sites such as Facebook, but allow access to media-affiliated forums.

Fauss said the Newman-Crows Landing district has taken no steps that he knows of to block the opinion forums of other newspapers.

“If they are being blocked, it is only because our filter is picking those up. If there became a concern about people in our local district spending time (on other forum sites), we would block any of those as well,” Fauss commented. “We are responding as we are aware of things becoming an issue.”

It is not appropriate for staff to use district time and equipment to criticize their employer, Fauss said, nor is it appropriate for students to have access to the site during school hours.

“I get paid to take that kind of stuff, but most of these people don’t,” he commented. “I get ripped all the time, but they had better be doing it on their own computer and their own time.”

Fauss said the site had also created situations which forced district leaders to spend valuable time investigating situations which arose as a result of posted information.

Fauss said he appreciates the Index newspaper web site for the stories and information it offers, but believes Soapbox has no merit.

“There may be 10 percent truth but 90 percent gossip,” he commented. “I don’t think most people who gossip want to know the truth. The true test was when I put my cell phone number and email on a post (in response to a series of comments about projects at the district office) and invited anybody to contact me. Nobody responded.”