Principal Howard Fore: Out of Touch
A student removes a videocamera from his high school bathroom, not knowing why it was there, and is suspended for “stealing school property.”
A Jasper County mother says her 8th grade son found a video camera taping in the school bathroom this week. But now, he is the one in trouble.
Cindy Champion says her son, Mac Bedor, and a few of his friends took the camera out of the ceiling because they felt it violated their privacy. Champion says her son brought the camera home to show her that afternoon. She says when she contacted the Jasper County Comprehensive School, she found out high school principal, Howard Fore, put the camera there.
Suspended? Geee…maybe Mac figured that his principle wasn’t such a weirdo out of touch. I hope that any student who sees a camera of any kind in a bathroom “steals” it or smashes it to bits.
Here is what Mac’s mother, Cindy Champion, told an area TV station:
“I had told the high school principal, Mr. Fore, that he needed to come up with another solution. That this wasn’t appropriate. His response to me was he was going to continue to film.”
UPDATE: I’ve changed the title and edited the text of the entry a little bit. While Howard Fore may be “weird”, I think that “out-of-touch” is probably a better term.
10 Responses to “Principal Howard Fore: Out of Touch”
Leave a Reply
note: by commenting, you indicate that you have read and accept all-encompassingly's comment policy. please print it and keep a copy of the document in your wall safe along with your living will or advance directive.
I found this lovely quote on the official webpage of Jasper County High School.
“Here at Jasper County High School, we pride ourselves in maintaining a high standard for education . . . The students here at Jasper County High School are very enthusiastic, showing alot of spirit and admiration for our school, both in sports as well as academics.”
Maybe instead of worrying about bathroom shenanigans, the administrators at Jasper High should focus on their “high standard for education”…like teaching students that “a lot” is two words, not one.
I encourage everyone to send this guy an email through the school server telling him what a sick pervert he is.
Maybe people who don’t know the whole story should think before they speak. One student who is glad to be out of the middle school was glad the camera was there, to protect students who were not protected last year. His experience last year was to have had his tennis shoes peed on. How would you like to be the parent of that special ed. child? Mr. Fore is one of the most upstanding men I’ve ever known & I have been teaching in this system for 30 years. Neither you nor Ms. Champion have any right to throw stones. By the way, maybe you should investigate the source of accusations–not Mac, his mother!!
All I needed to know is that Howard Fore wants a video camera in a school bathroom. That is WRONG.
There are plenty of other solutions to remedy restroom vandalism and bullying. So, placing a camera to watch teenage boys while they use the bathroom is not only wrong, but uncreative and rather dumb.
I would not encourage this.
Perhaps people should listen to the complete interview with Mac’s mother, who was shown the tapes, and who grudingly admitted that, indeed, one could not see “that aspect” in the bathroom. In today’s society people are far more willing to point fingers and call names than see the truth for what it is. Perhaps, too, it should be reiterated that placement for the protection of the public is within the law. Finally, it seems that it is far easier to point fingers and call names than accept the truth. After all, truth is seldom newsworthy in our sensationalized media.
Ummm… I don’t think most people were concerned if you could see a dude using the urinal or not. The very fact that the principal put cameras in the BATHROOM is outrageous. One expects privacy in the bathroom. Period.
It also seems that “responsible” educators are far more willing to place video cameras in bathrooms and invade the privacy of students.
Interesting that you have taken the time to visit our blog and point fingers… But, the truth is that Fore was dumb to put video cameras in the bathroom. When someone complained he should have taken it (them) out and found another way to deal with the problem.
True, unless the truth is stranger than fiction.
The Truth: High school principal Howard Fore placed a videocamera in a boys restroom.
The Truth: That a man in charge of a high school didn’t realize the brouhaha this would cause is downright scary.
Mr. Fore was my STAR teacher in high school. I know him to be an excellent, ethical family man. I suppose that doesn’t matter much in the world of the Internet–today, people like to judge strangers out of ignorance. I am a teacher now because of his influence, and I support him 100%.
Several concerns:
Why aren’t teachers protecting students’ privacy? There has always been violence, graffiti, vandalism, etc in school bathrooms. The very child that was suspended for bringing THE camera home was injured in a school bathroom in the same school; slipped and fell on water in the floor; hit his head on the sink; blood everywhere; had to pull himself together to go out into the hall to get help. There have been many times over the years fights have taken place in the bathroom…never were cameras considered.
Why now? Is vandalism more important than physical security? I think one man got frustrated with the vandalism and went on a vendetta!
Why didn’t the high school principal go thru the normal channels? Why weren’t others aware? Either Mr. Fore is under the impression he’s running a one man show, he’s stupid to think others wouldn’t mind, or he had other, more sinister motives?
Also, for the record:
1. The camera transmits up to 700 ft line of sight…opening a new possibility of abuse via the internet
2. Full audio, full color video
3. Placement was over the urinals…2 steps back and a child could be seen. The camera could’ve been placed in 2 other areas offering more privacy…
4. No signs to warn of the filming
5. No disciplinary action has been taken…business as usual in Jasper County Public Schools
6. Proper channels weren’t adhered to
If Mr. Fore was so right in his actions…why didn’t the school board support him in his decision to put the camera back up in the bathroom? Instead, the school board (in a press release) concurred Fore’s intent to reinstall the camera and the boards subsequent decision to decline reinstallation. The camera has NOT been reinstalled. However, there’s a bigger problem at work here. This issue is now bigger than Mr. Fore.
Seemingly, most school systems feel they have the right to install cameras in bathrooms. We, as parents and concerned adults need to clarify in our own respective states the legality of such actions. If this behavior is considered legal…Then, we owe it to our children and their children to changing existing laws to afford basic privacy.
It would seem to me that these “teachers” that are so busy protecting authority figures should remember the children need protecting too. Isn’t this why teachers became teachers? To be positive role models, loving and caring for our children? Where’s the protection here?
I go to this school now its awful, there is no ruling kids chew “dip” in all their classes and teachers don’t even care. I know a kid who got more days ISS (in school suspension) for not returning his progress report signed then a 16 year old kid did for having chewing tobacco. And yes, the principal is still a weirdo and the vice-principle is an ex-stripper.