A West Virginia school principal is facing criminal charges and is being sued by 11 students who allege he set up a network of hidden cameras in girls' locker rooms and changing areas at Brooke High School. Eric James, 53, is accused of watching students undress in real time through a livestream.
Deputies began their investigation after a hidden camera was discovered last Wednesday, according to a criminal complaint. A search warrant led to the discovery of a video on an SD card showing a high school student undressing. Another video reportedly showed James standing in the room, looking into a camera disguised as a pen.
James has been charged with intentionally intercepting or attempting to intercept wire, oral, or electronic communication and breaking and entering a non-residence. He was booked into the Northern Regional Jail on a $100,000 bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for next Wednesday.
Brooke County Chief Deputy Douglas Mills stated that all electronic devices suspected to be related to the complaint were seized and sent to the state crime lab for analysis. He indicated that additional charges would be filed after the evidence is processed.
Beyond the criminal investigation, 11 students have filed civil complaints. A purported class action lawsuit was filed last week on behalf of eight students, followed by three separate individual lawsuits. Both James and the Brooke County Board of Education are named as defendants in the civil actions.
One lawsuit claims that students at a previous school where James worked had complained about alleged misconduct before he became principal at Brooke High School. While employed at Cameron High School between 2000 and 2018 as a physical education teacher, students reportedly made complaints about James's conduct.
In an individual lawsuit filed by a student who plays for the school's soccer team, she alleged that James would wait for her when the locker room was locked, let her in, and then disappear. She claims she believes he was going to view live camera footage while she was changing. This student is seeking undisclosed monetary damages for alleged mental suffering, anguish, embarrassment, indignity, and shame.
Another lawsuit, filed by a student who used the locker rooms at Brooke High for an away game at John Marshall High School, claims James viewed live camera footage while she was changing. This suit also names the Board of Education, stating they knew or should have known about James's alleged actions. The student is seeking monetary damages for alleged mental suffering, anguish, and severe emotional distress.
A 17-year-old student at Brooke High School stated in her lawsuit that she regularly used the allegedly affected areas and reasonably believes she was within the camera's field of vision while she had a reasonable expectation of privacy. She is seeking damages for severe emotional distress, humiliation, loss of dignity, and violation of bodily privacy.
The purported class action lawsuit alleges that James intentionally exploited his authority by installing the cameras, resulting in an invasion of privacy that was not momentary, exposing children to ongoing secret observation and recording. The suit seeks damages to be awarded by a jury.
Clayton Fitzsimmons, an attorney involved in filing the class action suit, emphasized that every child has a right to be safe at school and that a locker room or changing area should be a secure place, calling the alleged actions a profound violation of trust. James has served as Brooke High School principal since 2023.