By
Amy Korst,
Andrew Brown,
Hanady Kader,
Sarah Jeglum
May 9, 2007
Gig Harbor High School's Dean of Students Keith Nelson just made a big mistake in the school's halls. The dean has been reassigned to a new position, but the damage has already been done.
Earlier this year, Nelson was contacted by the parents of one high school girl asking that he keep an eye on their daughter. Later, Nelson witnessed the girl kissing another girl in the hallways. The moment happened to be caught on videotape, the parents were notified and the girl was transferred to another school.
The incident smacks of unfairness and inappropriate use of school surveillance cameras.
We understand the absolute necessity for surveillance in schools. With renewed levels of violence, including the recent Virginia Tech shooting and subsequent violent threats in area schools, it is an administrator's responsibility to ensure a safe learning environment.
Video surveillance cameras are not meant to be disciplinary tools, however, especially when the discipline is applied sporadically and is potentially discriminatory.
While public displays of affection (PDA) are technically against the rules at Gig Harbor High School, making out in the hallways of a school is an all-too-common occurrence. To single out two girls kissing in a sea of hormonal teenagers is awfully unfair. Even worse, it appears to be discrimination against lesbians, though Nelson denies this.
In all likelihood, Nelson is not a homophobe, but the incident shows that homosexuality is still seen as an abnormal behavior in society, or else all other PDAs at the high school would have been reported to parents.
School officials in Gig Harbor need to apply and enforce rules uniformly. Since rules call for no PDA, this applies to everyone, not just students that parents want administrators to keep an eye on.
6 Comments
#1 julia
on May 9, 2007 at 9:54 a.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
That school also stated on the local news that they used the cameras to punish people who didn't pick up after themselves in the cafeteria. Which is absolutely inexcusable to use security cameras for "misdemeanor" crimes in a school. Makes you wonder if they would really notice something serious like a gun when they're too busy trying to punish people for not cleaning the lunch table and kissing in the hall.
#2 WC
on May 9, 2007 at 12:57 p.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
"While public displays of affection (PDA) are technically against the rules at Gig Harbor High School, making out in the hallways of a school is an all-too-common occurrence. To single out two girls kissing in a sea of hormonal teenagers is awfully unfair. Even worse, it appears to be discrimination against lesbians, though Nelson denies this."
I think it is very convenient to jump on this as a discrimination case, however, it was already against the rules and the parents had asked them to keep an eye on their daughter.
There are appropriate times and places for such activities and on school grounds during the day is not one of them. Things have definately changed since the days of unannounced locker searches, but I for one have to wonder if there is a reasonable expectation of privacy in a public school where the priority should be learning.
#3 RW
on May 9, 2007 at 11:24 p.m.(Redmond, WA | Unverified Name)
The priority in public schools has never been learning... it's been whatever the educational bureaucracy's agenda is. From imposing political correctness to policing normal, harmless student PDA to giving incompetent teachers and horrible principals tenure (while not giving merit pay to good ones) to starting class so early the teenage circadian rhythm can't keep up, our K-12 system is structurally dysfunctional.
The parents' concerns seem reasonable, and Nelson shouldn't be the fall guy for this. It's the educational bureaucrats higher up, perhaps the principal or perhaps higher, who need to be reexamined as well.
#4 Connor Fairman
on October 3, 2007 at 12:42 p.m.(Boise, ID | Unverified Name)
Currently Keith Nelson is the Vice Principal at our school and I feel uncomfortable having a pervert sitting behind the video cameras. I dont know what hes looking for, like more girls kissing, but I think this issue is larger than one makes it seem. How did someone like this get hired at another school? Is anyone comfortable with this man working at our school, Wood River High School, after he's been looking at girls kissing? The cameras obviously werent being used for protection, and recently I was told I wasn't allowed to attend anymore school games because I am a Crowd Instigator, and once again old Keith found me on the cameras!
#5 Caleb Crawford
on February 8, 2008 at 8:03 a.m.(Hailey, ID | Unverified Name)
He has a mushatche and i dont trust him watching my every move. He looks like Burt Reynolds
#6 Greg Wakefield
on February 8, 2008 at 8:12 a.m.(Hailey, ID | Unverified Name)
I completly agree with Connor. Why do we hire this guy to be our Vice Principal when he was just fired for something like this? I have no trust in him watching us through the cameras, and i know that no one else does either. I have been talking to friends in the hallway before and he comes over and basically joins our private conversation. This guy has no sense of personal space. It really iritates me that he could be targeting the girls here, just like he has done before. I think Mr. Blackman should review his resume and rethink his position here at Wood River High School.
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