When viewing this situation through different ethical lenses, Principal Hijjar needs to consider these aspects. Her position, her staff, the community, the district rules, and most importantly, her students. Then she needs to identify the power differences for these aspects, meaning, who has a voice and who does not in this situation. There are two major stances Principal Hijjar can support and act upon. She could support her position and the community, or she could support Ms. Voortmann and the staff’s rights to privacy. Some ethical frameworks that could help Principal Hijjar in this situation include the ethics of justice and professionalism. Using these frameworks as a core will allow Principal Hijjar the ability to think about specific …show more content…
Joan Poliner Shapiro and Jacqueline A. Stefkovich created a useful text for educators wanting to learn different ethical frameworks that can be applied during situations that can occur in the classroom. In their text Ethical Leadership and Decision Making in Education, Applying Theoretical Perspectives to Complex Dilemmas, they define and give examples of ethical frameworks such as the ethics of justice and professionalism. Shapiro and Stefkovich’s work will be the basis for the ethical framework analysis for this case study. The ethics of justice focuses on analyzing situations and asking questions that relate to the rule of law and abstract concepts such as fairness, equity, and justice (Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2016). As stated by the law firm websites there are no laws established for minor social media slip ups. The school district typically makes the final decisions towards releasing staff members that post inappropriate materials online. Comparing Ms. Voortmann's picture to an illegal decision such as a teacher who is sending naked images of her body online to minor-aged students needs to be considered. The later is an …show more content…
In order to reflect upon this situation while thinking of those aspects, she needs to use the ethics of profession. The ethics of profession combine the ethical frameworks of justice, critique, and care, but is centered around the students’ best interests (Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2016). Principal Hijjar needs to reflect upon what is best for the students in order to fulfill her duties as their principal. This ethical framework will consider the staff and community when deciding what is best for the students. The ethics of profession is recommended in situations where ethical lenses clash. Mrs. Sampson’s anger towards this situation is rooted in her personal code of ethics. She views Ms. Voortmann’s public drinking as immoral, and she should not behave this way in order to maintain a professional image for the students. Mrs. Sampson fears Ms. Voortmann’s students will see this photo and become influenced to drink alcoholic beverages. From the case study, this community is small with conservative values, so drinking alcohol outside of the home can be viewed as immoral in some households (Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2016). The community values are held by the parents and some students at the school, but Principal Hijjar needs to consider the values of her staff as well. After Mrs. Sampson revealed the Facebook photo album,