- Richmond's 23,000 students can be taped in school washrooms
under a controversial video-surveillance policy adopted by Richmond School
Board this week.
-
- Students can also be videotaped in the hallways, on school
buses and virtually anywhere on school property under the Big Brother policy
of surveillance adopted unanimously by trustees.
-
- "There is essentially no absolute restrictions on
where the video-surveillance cameras can go up," Kirk Tousaw, policy
director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, said yesterday.
-
- "We encouraged them to absolutely prohibit the use
of cameras in the washrooms. We didn't think it was appropriate under any
circumstance."
-
- School board chairwoman Annie McKitrick said: "We
all felt that cameras in the washroom may be something which needs to be
put in. I know I'm watched when I'm in the mall. I know I'm watched when
I'm everywhere. And I betcha they have cameras in the washrooms in the
mall.
-
- "We're trying to minimalize vandalism mostly, and
create a safe situation in our schools."
-
- The Civil Liberties Association said trustees could be
inviting legal action by students or parents if the surveillance is misused.
-
- "There's an interesting argument to be made that
suspicionless surveillance that isn't based on any kind of articulable
cause or immediate concern might be a Charter violation," said Tousaw.
-
- "It's clearly invasive of privacy. Students do not
deserve to be treated as potential criminals or suspects."
-
- - jkeating@png.canwest.com
-
- © Copyright 2003 The Province
-
- http://www.canada.com/search/story.aspx?id=3577cf08-50d2-4d2b-a944-7f1892d0dd14
|
