Posted on 12/01/2005 11:12:40 AM PST by Pyro7480
A Jasper County mother says her 8th grade son found a video camera taping in the school bathroom this week. But now, he is the one in trouble.
Cindy Champion says her son, Mac Bedor, and a few of his friends took the camera out of the ceiling because they felt it violated their privacy. Champion says her son brought the camera home to show her that afternoon. She says when she contacted the Jasper County Comprehensive School, she found out high school principal, Howard Fore, put the camera there. She says Fore told her he put the camera in the boys' bathroom to catch students vandalizing. Champion says her son is now suspended for taking school property.
CINDY CHAMPION, MOTHER:
"I had told the high school principal, Mr. Fore, that he needed to come up with another solution. That this wasn't appropriate. His response to me was he was going to continue to film."
Jasper County Superintendent, Jay Brinson, sent a faxed response to Eyewitness News. Brinson says high school principal, Howard Fore, placed the camera in the bathroom last Sunday to control vandalism. He says Fore put the camera there "to discover the identity of those doing the damage." Brinson says the principal did tell Cindy Champion that the camera would be installed again. But in his statement Brinson says, "The camera was not placed back in the restroom, and will not be placed back in the restroom."
Eyewitness News tried to contact the Ocmulgee Circuit District Attorney about the legality of placing hidden cameras in public school rest rooms. He covers that area. Eyewitness News was not able to get in touch with him. But, Eyewitness News did talk with Bibb County District Attorney, Howard Simms. He says cameras in public school bathrooms are legal because schools have more leeway on privacy issues.
Where is the ACLU?
Whoever wrote this banner could work for the Enquirer...this is a distortion (if not an outright falsehood) of the facts.
The student was suspended for stealing the camera, not for finding it.
Total apples and oranges.
except cops don't put cameras in bathrooms ... right?
I added the part in parenthesis. The camera shouldn't have been there in the first place!
I don't agree with the camera in the bathroom but the kid had no right to steal it either.
Assuming you are correct, does that make it OK to put a camera in the bathroom? I'm sure it would be different if it was the girls' bathroom.
Uh huh....yeah, right....Fore outta be skinned for the boner he pulled.
Sorry I'm not an anarchist who assumes that one illegal act deserves another.
Catch or Watch?
LOL!
just doing the peeping most Americans don't want to do..
Sure he did. I agree the kid shouldn't have taken it, though - a conviction is going to be harder to get if you don't have the evidence intact.
I'm sure that the principal can document extensive boy's-room vandalism in support of the substantial outlay required to install a secret camera. Or, he could be a perv abusing his office for a cheap thrill. Could go either way but I know where I'd bet.
Relaaaaax.... It's the government, they're here to help you. Only citizens can commit crimes; the government only has your best interests in mind.
....at the soon to be named "Chuck Berry Junior High".
Americans living in red states, anyway.
What the hell is wrong with FR lately? I can't believe that there are people here that apparently think it's OK for the school to film 8th grade boys in the bathroom. That kid made the right assumption that some pervert put that in there, and he did the right thing by taking it out. Gawd, there's some sick, twisted puppies out there if they think the boy was wrong.
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