School district not defending coach who put camera in locker room

Superintendent David LaRose says that the most important job of their
school district is to keep kids safe.

LaRose is now quelling the concerns of parents following the discovery
of a camera in a South Kitsap High School boys locker room.

A custodian first discovered the camera and both school authorities and
law enforcement were called in. The camera, which investigators
discovered only held up to one hour of video, was set up inside a
coach’s office and was pointed at lockers.

The tape was reviewed, and LaRose said the video didn’t capture any
identifiable students, and no students in states of undress.

While some parents are raising concerns that not enough has been done
to punish the employee that put up the camera, LaRose is defending the
actions taken against the wayward camera-person.

“The strategy was to use the camera to catch the criminals,” LaRose told
97.3 KIRO FM’s Dori Monson
Show.

Before the camera was set up, the locker room had been hit recently
with a string of documented thefts and “loss of money.”

Even though the employee’s motivation was to try and find a thief,
LaRose called it poor judgement. “It’s not something that’s going to be
taken lightly.”

Police have concluded their investigation and no charges will be filed.
While LaRose wouldn’t get into the specifics, the staff member didn’t get
off the hook. “We responded assertively, to make sure the message is
sent, that poor judgement still needs to be held accountable.”

According to LaRose, the intention of the school district was never to
protect or defend any behavior that could put children in harm’s way.