MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Parents in Mooresville are up in arms over a vaping sensor that’s been put inside Mooresville High School. The system involves a security camera in the hall for surveillance, but what really has parents upset is that the door to the bathroom has apparently been left open.
Parents like Michelle Domalewski saw an image that showed a camera pointed directly inside the women's bathroom inside the high school with the door left ajar. She's worried it affects the students' privacy.
“I couldn't believe it, because they have no privacy. No privacy at all," she said.
Domalewski is concerned her daughter or other students won't use the bathroom inside the school because of it.
“I don't think they can do what they need to do in the bathroom without everybody seeing them and hearing them," she added.
Leaders with the Mooresville Graded School District told WCNC Charlotte the vape system was recently installed at MHS, with cameras placed just outside the bathrooms and sensors installed to detect possible smoke from vape pens. A statement from MGSD follows:
At Mooresville High School, the safety and privacy of our students are a priority. We are committed to providing a secure learning environment where every child can thrive. To combat the dangers that can result from student vaping, and with the support of parents, we installed vaping sensors in Mooresville High School. While the sensors are new, Mooresville Graded School District has utilized video cameras throughout all of our campuses for the past several years. They cover doors, hallways, stairwells, classrooms, and offices. School and district-level leadership are the only individuals with access to our camera system. These individuals have the ability to review videos throughout the school as needed to ensure the safety of our students and staff. There are cameras that include the entry/exit points of the bathrooms at MHS. These cameras show a viewpoint similar to what a person walking in the hallway would see. We take student privacy very seriously and adhere to all state and federal laws to protect it. Our commitment is to foster a safe and supportive environment where students and families can feel safe and secure. We encourage any parents with questions or concerns regarding students' safety and/or privacy to reach out to us.
Domalewski wonders if the open doors are part of the system.
"In case something does happen in those schools now, there's no doors or the doors are stuck open, and they can't even go to the bathrooms for safety," she said.
WCNC Charlotte showed the photo to the school district and asked if the doors needed to remain open as part of the vape system inside the school. A spokesperson for the school district responded.
“No, this door is not being opened as part of the camera system and can be closed by any person utilizing the bathroom at any time," they said.
Domalewski is hopeful the school district will find other solutions to tackle the vape issue.
“Putting a normal security guard back into the bathrooms will prevent it -- it's better just going back old school ways," she said.
Contact Myles Harris at mharris5@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.