DigitalSonata

As far as I know its perfectly legal.

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Crazy9000

It depends on the situation. With a school, you usually have to sign & have your parents sign something that will say you will use the internet appropriatly and not bypass the filter. I would imagine most workplaces would have something like this too. If you don't say or sign something that says you won't bypass the filter, then I don't see how it would be illegal.

This would be something you would probally have signed when you were first hired, and probally won't remember signing though.

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RussianGrimmReaper

Neither my parents nor I have signed such an agreement at my public high school for as long as I have been there. Does this mean I'm allowed to setup a proxy and get around the schools "protection" legally?

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Wheezy Baby

I know that states have mandated laws requiring schools to utilize filters of various sorts and by 'going around' those filters, you are actually breaking state law to some extent.

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DigitalSonata

There aren't any laws that require schools (and libraries) to use filtering technology (at least in my state), but they get big grants from the government if they do, so almost all of them do use them, in addition to having increased security.

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Upgrade

To answer a few of your questions...
I'm an IT Director for a large school district in Texas...

There are several filtering options available.
If you want to go the free route, use SQUID
Most if not all web proxy filters use squid as their back bone. This requires that you know linux and networking.

Installing a filter is only as good as your security against users availability to anonymous proxies servers. For this reason, I use CIPA Filter by Dirbytech. Which, is using squid with a dirbytech gui.

It's main feature is not looking a database of bad websites/ips, it is great for filtering content. (Example: Boobs, cheating, how to build a bomb, etc. (ALL THE STUFF YOU DON'T WANT KIDS TO GET TO)) So, even if you use a proxy it will read the content of the page and STILL block an inappropriate site. It also provides full reports to see who has been naughty or nice.

It's only as legal as your company/school AUP - Acceptable Use Policy.
They should have you sign a form stating what is expected of you while you are on their company/school network. I suggest asking the IT department for a copy of the AUP so you can read the policy without having to say, I'm getting around your crappy filter....is this ok with you mr. network admin?

DigitalSonata is right...
There is no law in most states governing internet filtering in schools or librarys. The large grant program he is talking about is a federal program governed by the FCC called E-Rate. E-rate provides schools/librarys LaRgE aMoUnTs Of FuNdInG.

One of the requirements of the program is that your school/library is CIPA (Child Internet Protection Act) compliant. So users going around the filter is putting the school/library is grave danger of losing there large funding source.

Most schools have a HUGE punishment for students/staff caught going around the filter. I personally know staff members who have been fired from a school for putting the school in jeopardy of losing its e-rate funding.