However, in considering potential sanctions, he said the committee must be mindful that the Commons must use its penal powers "as sparingly as possible" and only when action was deemed essential to provide "reasonable protection from improper obstruction".

BBC: News of the World sign

The purpose of the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act is to prevent school employees from engaging in improper sexual conduct with students, but the ban on website communication is a broad measure that extends far beyond this purpose.

FORBES: Why Missouri's Ban on Teacher-Student Facebook Friendships Is Doomed