Filming incidents at school: Some Wake school board members want leniency for students in some cases

Some Wake school board members said Tuesday they wish state policies were clearer on when it's OK for students to film things at school.

They're thinking of when students can film bullying and other concerns, in an effort to prove to school leaders that something is happening, they said during the board's policy committee meeting.

Policy Committee Vice Chairman Chris Heagarty recalled an incident in which parents came to him about.

They said a coach was being verbally abusive to students, and the principal didn't believe the students until they took a video of it happening.

"From the parents' point of view, access to video was really important to resolve the issue," Heagarty said.

The new state law restricting access to cellphones and other personal devices prevents, among other things, students from pulling out their phones to film something.

But teachers can make exceptions for certain reasons.

Superintendent Robert Taylor told the committee he thinks principals can use discretion in deciding whether to punish a student for breaking the rule, depending on the context.

Taylor and board members acknowledged that filming videos of fights is a problem in school "fight culture" that can make it harder for adults to intervene to break up those fights or tend to anyone injured in them.