On The Front Lines
Rutherford Institute Calls on Fairfax Public Schools to Reject Proposal to Install $3 Million Security Cameras Because of Cafeteria Food Fights
FAIRFAX, Va.— Cautioning school officials not to overreact, John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute, is voicing concern over a proposal to install a $3 million security camera system in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), allegedly in response to student food fights in the high school cafeterias. Insisting that surveillance cameras in schools will ultimately endanger students' psychological, social, and civic development and suppress the free exchange of ideas that is crucial to that development, Whitehead called on FCPS Superintendent Jack Dale to oppose the current proposal to install cameras in FCPS high schools and adopt a commonsense approach to disciplinary reform. In recent years, FCPS has been increasingly criticized for the harsh, punitive nature of its discipline procedures, especially in relation to its zero tolerance policies.
The Rutherford Institute's letter to Dr. Dale is available here.
"The use of surveillance cameras in public schools sends a chilling message to all students that defies the very spirit of the First Amendment," said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. "It also erects a police state environment in which every student becomes a suspect and their privacy is eviscerated by omnipresent surveillance cameras."
Reportedly in response to several food fights that took place in high school cafeterias during the 2010-2011 academic year, officials with the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) are considering a proposal to install a $3 million security camera system throughout the schools in order to monitor student compliance with school rules. Cautioning Superintendent Dale against making any rash decisions, Whitehead warned that while such a surveillance system might appeal to those who seek a concrete solution to complex and intangible discipline problems, it is an "overly simplistic, expensive, and undemocratic measure that will yield harmful effects on our children and the future of American society." For example, a multitude of studies has shown that surveillance cameras do not substantially reduce wrongdoing, nor are they effective at indentifying culprits after a crime has been committed. Additionally, as Whitehead points out, fundamental tenets of due process require that those punished for bad behavior be those who have actually taken part in rule violations. However, every student is punished when their privacy is eviscerated by omnipresent surveillance cameras.
There are also well-established psychological consequences to being watched. Research indicates that people who are watched will either tailor their behavior to fit what they believe the observer wants or they will openly rebel against it. Moreover, one study clearly shows that children who are constantly watched tend to be "indecisive, dependent on others, have little 'ethical competence', and often live suppressed and unhappy lives." Earlier this year, in the wake of the suicide of Nick Stuban, a sophomore at Woodson High School in Virginia, who took his life on January 20, 2011, after being subjected to what his parents characterized as an "unconscionable" hearing by FCPS officials, The Rutherford Institute called on FCPS to address glaring deficiencies in the way school officials carry out their disciplinary processes and procedures.
