Eric James, the 53-year-old principal of Brooke High School in Wellsburg, West Virginia, has been arrested and charged after four hidden cameras were discovered in the girls' locker room. He was charged with intentionally intercepting or attempting to intercept electronic communications and with breaking and entering a non-residential building, and remains in custody on a $100,000 bond. The case matters because it involves a senior school official allegedly exploiting his position of trust to secretly film students, prompting the school district to suspend him and launch an investigation while stressing its duty to protect pupils' safety and privacy.

The devices, described as pen-like recorders, were found by a security guard in several changing areas, including those used by the dance team, physical education classes and varsity athletes; footage reportedly showed James himself setting up one camera and adjusting its angle, and another clip allegedly showed a student changing. According to a criminal complaint, James admitted to placing the devices, which investigators believe had been in place only since the start of the school year, with timestamps still to be confirmed by a crime lab. He has not been charged with child pornography, though prosecutors say further charges are possible, and other schools in the district have since been checked and found free of similar devices.