Community urges cameras after alleged preschool assault; teachers’ union warns classroom recordings may violate law
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Summary
Dozens of public commenters urged classroom, hallway and playground cameras to improve safety after an alleged incident at Sunset Preschool; the district teachers’ union cautioned that classroom and body-worn recordings implicate Education Code and federal privacy protections. Trustees debated limited approaches and legal constraints.
Public comment and trustee discussion on Nov. 13 centered on whether San Ysidro should install video cameras in schools, including preschools and special-education settings, to bolster accountability after an alleged assault at a district preschool.
Speakers during item 13.15 called for cameras in high-risk spaces. "Cameras protect our youngest and nonverbal students," said a representative of a parents’ oversight group, urging the board to place cameras in hallways, lunch areas, playgrounds and preschools. Mary Davis, who said she is a privacy advocate by background, told trustees she had shifted toward supporting cameras after conversations with parents of special-education students and after seeing cases in which video changed outcomes.
The teachers’ union president representing SYEA strongly objected to classroom and body-worn cameras. "The use of body cameras and video recordings inside classrooms is just illegal," the union president said, citing Education Code section 51512 and federal protections such as FERPA. The union told trustees that video inside classrooms without required consents could be a misdemeanor and risk federal privacy violations.
Trustees debated compromise approaches. One trustee said video-only cameras (no audio) in hallways and common areas are legally permissible and urged staff to bring forward an agenda item to begin process planning for non-classroom cameras and for special-day classes or preschool settings where students are nonverbal or medically fragile. Other trustees raised concerns about access, who would review footage, whether footage could be muted, costs, and potential legal exposure.
No final policy was adopted during the discussion portion; trustees agreed to consider tabling or moving the item to future agendas for more review. The transcript shows vigorous exchange between parents, advocates, the union and trustees, reflecting high public emotion and legal caution.
Provenance: topicintro SEG 2426, topfinish SEG 2967.