Lawsuit Seeks Accountability Following Alleged Video Recording of Female Students in School Locker Rooms and Changing Areas By School Principal
WHEELING, W.Va. — September 4, 2026 — Fitzsimmons Law Firm PLLC has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of a Brooke High School student and other female students arising from the discovery of hidden recording devices in private locker rooms and changing areas at Brooke High School.
The lawsuit was filed against Brooke High School Principal Eric James and the Brooke County Board of Education. According to the Complaint, multiple hidden recording devices were discovered in areas where female students, including minors, regularly changed clothes and had every reason to expect complete privacy.
Since the allegations became public, Fitzsimmons Law Firm has received calls from concerned parents seeking answers about what happened at the school and whether their daughters may have been affected.
“Every child has an absolute right to be safe at school,” said Clayton Fitzsimmons, Managing Member of Fitzsimmons Law Firm. “There is no exception to that responsibility. When parents send their children to school, they entrust them to the adults responsible for their care and expect them to be protected. And nowhere should a child be more secure in her privacy than in a locker room or changing area. What is alleged to have happened here represents a profound violation of that trust.”
For the students and their families, the allegations involve more than the physical security of a school building. They concern a child's most basic sense of privacy and security in a place where she should never have had reason to question either.
“For a young girl, a locker room or changing area is supposed to be a private and safe space,” said Attorney Christy Pill of Fitzsimmons Law Firm. “The idea that a child could later have to wonder whether someone was secretly watching or recording her while she was changing is deeply disturbing. No girl should ever have to experience that uncertainty at school. These students deserve to have their privacy, dignity, and safety protected.”
According to the Complaint, hidden recording devices were discovered in multiple areas used by female students at Brooke High School, including the girls' physical education locker room, girls' varsity athletic locker room, and a dressing area used by the school's dance team. James has been arrested and faces criminal charges related to the alleged surveillance. The full scope and duration of the alleged conduct remains under investigation.
The criminal investigation and civil litigation are separate proceedings. The criminal justice system will determine James's criminal responsibility. The civil case will address the responsibilities of the parties under civil law, whether reasonable measures were taken to protect students from the conduct alleged, determine how the alleged secret surveillance could happen, and seek to hold the responsible parties accountable.
“This is about one of the most fundamental responsibilities a school has—the safety and protection of its students,” said Attorney Brent Wear of Fitzsimmons Law Firm. “Children should be able to go to school, participate in athletics, and change clothes in a school locker room without ever having to question whether their privacy is being violated. That should be absolute.”
The lawsuit alleges that the Brooke County Board of Education failed to exercise reasonable care in safeguarding private student areas and in supervising the access afforded to school personnel. The Complaint further alleges claims against James arising from the alleged covert surveillance.
“Schools occupy a unique position of trust in our communities because we entrust them with our children every day,” Fitzsimmons said. “With that trust comes a fundamental responsibility to protect them. A child should never have to question whether she is safe or whether her most basic privacy will be respected inside her own school.”
The criminal investigation and civil litigation are separate proceedings. The criminal justice system will determine James's criminal responsibility. The civil case will address the responsibilities of the parties under civil law and whether reasonable measures were taken to protect students from the conduct alleged.
“We have heard from parents who are understandably angry, frightened and looking for answers,” Fitzsimmons said. “As a parent, it is difficult to imagine learning that hidden cameras may have been operating in a place where your daughter changed clothes at school. Parents should never be put in that position, and children should never be subjected to it.”
The lawsuit was filed in the Circuit Court of Brooke County, West Virginia.
Because the allegations involve minors and matters of an intensely private nature, Fitzsimmons Law Firm will not publicly identify the student who brought the action or other potentially affected students.
“Our clients are children first,” Attorney Rocky Fitzsimmons said. “Their safety, privacy and dignity come before everything else. We intend to conduct this litigation consistent with that principle.”
About Fitzsimmons Law Firm PLLC
Fitzsimmons Law Firm PLLC is a nationally recognized litigation firm based in Wheeling, West Virginia, representing individuals and families in complex, high-stakes civil litigation. The firm has obtained more than 225 verdicts and settlements exceeding $1 million and has recovered more than $1.5 billion for its clients.
For decades, Fitzsimmons Law Firm has handled some of the most serious and complex cases involving catastrophic injury, wrongful death, institutional and sexual abuse, class actions, mass torts, and other significant civil claims in West Virginia. The firm has extensive experience litigating cases involving corporate greed and malfeasance, governmental entities, school boards and other institutions where issues of safety, trust, accountability, and institutional responsibility are at the center of the case.
Contact:
Fitzsimmons Law Firm PLLC
1609 Warwood Avenue
Wheeling, West Virginia 26003
304-277-1700