Missouri First to Outlaw Teacher-Student Facebook Friendship

According to Missouri Senate Bill 54, just signed by state Governor Jay Nixon, any social networking is prohibited between teachers and students. This includes not only Facebook, but any social network "that is exclusive and allows for private communication," according to ABC News.

How did this measure come about? Mashable notes that "inappropriate contact between students and teachers is at the root of the legislation," which is "designed to protect children from sexual misconduct by teachers, compelling school districts to adopt written policies between teachers and students on electronic media, social networking and other forms of communication."

So how has this been received? The law certainly seems to give the peculiar message that teachers are not to be trusted. Mashable reacts that "on the surface this sounds like a good idea," although they question how it would be policed: "Inappropriate relationships will be hard to detect, especially since teachers and students engaged in such relationships would probably be concealing their communications, electronic or otherwise." Well if we learned anything from Weiner, it's to never underestimate how sloppy adults are when concealing inappropriate behavior online. So perhaps even these rudimentary precautions may be preventative?

Read the full story at The Atlantic Wire.