Georgia 8th grader suspended for taking camera out of restroom ceiling

Sundae · 12-05-2005, 11:57 AM

I'm with Clodfobble in agreeing that a camera in the toilets does not necessarily mean someone is getting off on videos of pupils.

And I think a 5 day suspension is reasonable for removing school property - the boy needs to learn that just because he doesn't agree with something, it doesn't give him the right to remove it. IMO the correct action would have been to go home, speak to his parents about it and allow them to take or suggest further action. In this case I'm sure they would have suggested some of the radical ideas on the previous page (i.e. remove & dismantle, remove & cry "pervert") but surely 8th graders - 12 years old, right? - not only need guidance when dealing with the adult world, they need to know they still need guidance.

Maybe it hits a different nerve if you have children...?

glatt · 12-05-2005, 12:23 PM

Security cameras are installed primarily to deter crime. Gathering evidence is only a secondary role they play. A hidden camera does nothing to deter crime. If a criminal isn't aware of its presence, that criminal won't modify his behaviour when around the camera.

This hidden camera smells very fishy to me.

If you want to put cameras in a public bathroom, you should put them in plain sight, and also put up signs informing the patrons that they are being filmed. If you want to make sure nobody tampers with the plain sight cameras, you can also put in hidden cameras pointing at the regular cameras. They are cool if they are hidden then, because the patron already knows they are being filmed.

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12-05-2005, 11:57 AM	#1
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	I'm with Clodfobble in agreeing that a camera in the toilets does not necessarily mean someone is getting off on videos of pupils. And I think a 5 day suspension is reasonable for removing school property - the boy needs to learn that just because he doesn't agree with something, it doesn't give him the right to remove it. IMO the correct action would have been to go home, speak to his parents about it and allow them to take or suggest further action. In this case I'm sure they would have suggested some of the radical ideas on the previous page (i.e. remove & dismantle, remove & cry "pervert") but surely 8th graders - 12 years old, right? - not only need guidance when dealing with the adult world, they need to know they still need guidance. Maybe it hits a different nerve if you have children...?

12-05-2005, 12:23 PM	#2
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Security cameras are installed primarily to deter crime. Gathering evidence is only a secondary role they play. A hidden camera does nothing to deter crime. If a criminal isn't aware of its presence, that criminal won't modify his behaviour when around the camera. This hidden camera smells very fishy to me. If you want to put cameras in a public bathroom, you should put them in plain sight, and also put up signs informing the patrons that they are being filmed. If you want to make sure nobody tampers with the plain sight cameras, you can also put in hidden cameras pointing at the regular cameras. They are cool if they are hidden then, because the patron already knows they are being filmed.

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