Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson has been questioned for using city e-mail to communicate with his 2003 re-election campaign. Anderson subsequently asked District Attorney David Yocom to investigate. Yocom's office found no criminal penalty for such e-mail use and that the matter should be handled as a personnel issue.

UEA government relations director Vik Arnold deferred to Rusk for comment but noted the union has a right to communicate with its members.

"I think the law is pretty clear that e-mail communication, even of a political nature, can be sent into schools and our teachers and members from our organization."

Alpine School District planned to investigate the complaint, spokeswoman Jerrilyn Mortensen said. She said district's e-mail rules are "not very restrictive" for teachers.

"We've asked them to use e-mail appropriately for educational purposes, and we've asked that if they do any e-mailing of a personal nature among teachers that they do it on prep time or after school time, not on contract time," Mortensen said. "If our teacher has behaved inappropriately, we will take appropriate personnel action."

The UEA and Parents for Choice in Education often butt heads over tuition tax credits, which the union opposes as a drain on public funds. The battle has crept into the 2004 campaign season, with both sides backing candidates who support their respective positions.

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