Camera in School BathroomA 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: 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. Last modified December 1, 2005 |
COMMENT:
Placing cameras in public restrooms is a complete and total violation of the Fourth Amendment and for the District Attorney to say that its legal because its at a school is horriffic. The government is claiming that we have no rights and if we don't step up, like Mac did, and show them we do know our rights, then we are on a slippery slope indeed.
A few years ago in Tennessee, they were caught placing cameras in showers. They are blatantly setting the precident to put cameras in even in bathrooms. The instant we start accepting this level of privacy invasion we will be opening ourselves to the destruction of privacy altogether.
If cameras in school restrooms are found to be "legal," its only a matter of time before cameras infiltrate every space we inhabit including our homes. Only prisoners are under 24 hour surveillance.
This 8th grader, Mac Bedor, and his friends are heroes for standing up to the ever-encroaching reach of Big Brother.