If I’m fired by a school, do I have a right to my files that were housed on their servers?
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If I’m fired by a school, do I have a right to my files that were housed on their servers?
I was fired by a school for teaching about LGBTQ Pride despite having permission
from the principal to do so in advance. I have three years worth of files on my
Google Drive housed by the school. So far they have not been willing to give me
my three years worth of work back. Is this my intellectual property? What does the
law say about my right to have my own work and files back?
Thank you
Asked on August 28, 2019 under Employment Labor Law, North Carolina
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 4 years ago | Contributor
It was not "your" Google Drive: it was the schools. They do not need to give you copies of any materials on their drive, even material you placed there; anything you place on your employer's system becomes theirs, unless there was a written agreement to the contrary. Not only do they not need to give it to you, but they could simply erase it, if they chose, since they control what is on their system (or on resources provided by them). You should not keep the sole copy of work you did or materials you created on your employer's system.
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