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Legal & Employment Guidance

Know Your Rights: Free Speech and Social Media for Educators

Learn how to engage in protected off-duty speech while minimizing exposure to online threats such as doxxing.
Published: March 12, 2026

Recent online campaigns have targeted educators for comments made on social media, including efforts to identify individuals, share their personal information online, and pressure institutions to investigate or discipline them. In some cases, educators have faced removal from the classroom, formal investigations, or other employment consequences.

In response, the NEA Office of General Counsel (OGC) has developed a 30-minute online course for NEA members focused on the First Amendment’s speech protections for educators and best practices for securing social media accounts. Through real-world case studies, interactive quizzes, and practical guidance, participants will gain a clearer understanding of how to engage in protected off-duty speech while reducing exposure to online risks such as doxxing.

For NEA members wishing to take the course, please follow these instructions:

  1. Create an account (Sign Up in NEA PEP) or log in (Log Into Your NEA PEP Account).
  2. Go to the course in the Professional Excellence Portal catalog. Once you are logged in, you may navigate directly to the course.

For questions about the course content, please contact the Office of the General Counsel at [email protected]. For technical questions or assistance logging in, please contact NEA Learning Solutions at [email protected].

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