Washington judge rules camera records must be made public

September 17, 2009

EVERETT, Washington: Snohomish County Superior Court judge David A. Kurtz ruled on Wednesday, September 16 that the Everett School District in Snohomish County is required under the Washington Public Records Act to provide a local teacher's union with the records it requested about how a secret camera was installed in a classroom.

The union requested the records in May 2008 after it learned that the school district had made a decision to install a secret surveillance camera in the classroom of teacher Kay Powers, a Cascade High School teacher. The district believed that Powers was helping students publish an underground student newspaper using school equipment. They determined that she was, and ultimately suspended and fired her.