Parents in California's Central Valley are demanding a statewide law that would mandate cameras in special education classrooms, spurred by allegations of abuse against their children by teachers.
Online petitions advocating for this change have gained significant traction, with over 12,800 signatures collected within the Bakersfield City School District and more than 2,700 in the Visalia Unified School District.
Brittney Camacho, a mother of three children with special needs, expressed her shock, stating, “I would never have assumed that was happening at the school.” She was contacted by the Visalia Police Department in September 2025 regarding potential physical abuse of her children by their kindergarten teacher, Lacie Ann Horsting. The police investigated Horsting, a 34-year-old teacher, after receiving child abuse reports related to the 2024-25 school year.
Although the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office filed 10 misdemeanor child abuse charges against Horsting in April, the case was ultimately dismissed due to the expiration of the one-year statute of limitations. Camacho's children, two girls aged nine and a seven-year-old son, were among those reportedly affected. Two of her children are nonverbal, and one suffers from echolalia.
"Cameras are so, so important because these children don’t have a voice. From our experience, putting a child’s safety in the hands of adults’ word of mouth has failed our children,” Camacho told EdSource. She emphasized the need for monitoring, especially for vulnerable students who cannot communicate their distress or discomfort.
Ashley Hopwood, whose children have special needs and are nonverbal, authored a petition for cameras in Bakersfield special education classrooms. She highlighted that children with disabilities are at a heightened risk of neglect or abuse without adequate monitoring. Hopwood also suggested that cameras could serve as an educational tool, helping educators develop more tailored teaching strategies.
A statewide requirement for cameras in special education classrooms would necessitate action from the California Legislature. A 1976 California law, which prohibits recording devices in classrooms without the consent of both the teacher and the principal, has been identified by the Bakersfield City School District as a potential legal barrier.
The California Teachers Association (CTA) has previously cited this law to oppose mandatory live online instruction. However, a CTA board member stated that the union does not currently have an official stance on the issue of cameras in special education classrooms.