Email Retention Policy

Purpose

 

Quakertown Community School District desires to utilize its electronic communications systems in a professional and responsible manner and maintain those communications in a fashion that comports with the law.

 

Scope

 

This policy covers appropriate use of the Quakertown Community School District email system including any email sent from a Quakertown Community School District email address, received by a Quakertown Community School District email address, email backups, and the retention and deletion of email communications. This policy applies to all employees, vendors, and agents operating on behalf of the Quakertown Community School District.

 

Guidelines

 

Prohibited Use

 

Besides and in addition to any use specifically prohibited by the district's Acceptable Use policy, the Quakertown Community School District email system shall not to be used for the creation or distribution of any disruptive or harassing messages, including harassing comments about race, gender, hair color, disabilities, age, sexual orientation, pornography, religious beliefs and practice, political beliefs, or national origin, the sending of sensitive information or unauthorized disclosure. Employees who receive any emails with this type of content from any Quakertown Community School District employee, vendors or agents should report the matter to their supervisor immediately.[1]

 

Personal Use

 

Sending chain letters or joke emails from a Quakertown Community School District email account is prohibited. Virus or other malware warnings and mass mailings from Quakertown Community School District shall be approved by Quakertown Community School District before sending. These restrictions also apply to the forwarding of mail received by a Quakertown Community School District employee. Other personal use is permitted only to the extent permitted by the district's Acceptable Use policy.[1]

 

Monitoring

 

Quakertown Community School District employees shall have no expectation of privacy in anything they store, send or receive on the company's email system. Quakertown Community School District may monitor, search and read messages without prior notice. However, Quakertown Community School District is not obliged to monitor email messages.

 

 

 

Email Retention and Destruction

 

The Quakertown Community School District utilizes an email archiver that records all email communications originating or received by the district email accounts including internal to internal communications. The archiver's internal policy will retain all mail for a period of 365 days. All mail outside the terms of the policy is automatically destroyed.[2]

 

The Board directs administration to set guidelines for retention of emailed information for reference which adhere to the district’s Document Retention policy.[2]

 

The determination of what email should be printed and retained shall likewise be determined by the district's Document Retention policy.[2]

 

When the district receives notice that a legal action is either pending or imminent or a government investigation will occur, destruction of emails with any relation to that actual or potential action must be suspended immediately. Notice could occur before the filing of a Complaint, and assumes that the district is previously aware of an incident or event that is subject to a suit.

 

All events or incidents that are likely to lead to legal action shall be reported to the Technology Director or his designee. Counsel must also be notified immediately upon receipt of any such notice, whether written or oral. Counsel will be responsible for evaluating the defenses available to the district, identifying the emails that may be relevant to a legal action, and responding to the suspension of the retention and destruction policies and schedule.

 

Any employee found to have violated this policy may be subject to disciplinary action.[3][4][5]

Website by SchoolMessenger Presence. © 2024 SchoolMessenger Corporation. All rights reserved.