Q. May an employer discipline or discharge an employee for appearing in a TikTok video?
A. If the employee is part of a union, inappropriate conduct in a TikTok video may not be sufficient grounds for a just cause termination. In 2019, a Pennsylvania school district terminated a third-grade teacher after the district discovered the teacher had appeared with her minor daughter in an online TikTok video. However, following arbitration and two appeals, the teacher was reinstated to her former position and received all lost earnings, seniority, and benefits.