Atascadero High School student accused of taking videos in the girls’ bathroom
A male Atascadero High School student was accused of taking videos in a girls’ bathroom — leading to a police investigation and potential criminal charges.
The videos taken in the bathroom didn’t show any sexual activity or students’ private areas — they were primarily audio recordings, said Lt. Jason Carr of the Atascadero Police Department.
The student accused of taking the videos is a juvenile, and police are not releasing his identity to protect his privacy, Carr said.
Atascadero Unified School District officials contacted police last Monday, March 25, “within moments” of being notified of the allegations, Superintendent Tom Butler said.
The accused student faced the most severe consequences possible and is no longer enrolled at the school, Butler said.
Following an investigation, police recommended the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office file two misdemeanor charges against the student, Carr said.
Carr declined to release additional details regarding how the student gained access to the girls’ bathroom and where he made his recordings — he said that information is part of an ongoing investigation.
He said the videotaping appeared to be a one-time incident, not an ongoing occurrence.
Butler said the district has handled the situation in a “professional manner.” It’s tough to share much information about the incident, as the district must protect student confidentiality, he said.
“We worked with the Police Department to notify anyone who may have been a victim,” he said.
This story was originally published April 4, 2019 at 12:26 PM.
