Reporting reviewed September 7, 2026. The investigation and related lawsuits are ongoing.
For families whose daughters traveled to Brooke High School in Wellsburg, West Virginia, the reports of hidden cameras raise an urgent question: could a visiting athlete have been recorded while changing for a game?
That concern now appears in a civil lawsuit. The West Virginia Record reports that a visiting student-athlete and her parents filed a complaint alleging she was recorded while using a Brooke High locker room. The allegation has not been established in court. The reporting reviewed for this article does not identify every person potentially affected or establish that every visiting team was recorded. Read the September 4 lawsuit report.
Families can take practical steps now: document when their child visited, identify which changing area she used, preserve ordinary records, and seek advice privately. They do not need to obtain or circulate sensitive images to raise a concern.
What has been reported at Brooke High School?
Brooke High principal Eric James was arrested on September 3 following the discovery of recording devices in girls’ changing areas. WDTV reported allegations involving electronic interception and unlawful entry, and later reported that investigators reviewed footage showing students changing. Those reports describe an ongoing criminal investigation; charges and reported statements do not establish guilt. James is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. WDTV’s September 4 update.
According to the Herald-Star’s coverage of officials’ news conference, four devices were recovered from areas including the girls’ physical education locker room, varsity locker room, and dance team changing area. The district suspended James. Investigators sent seized electronics for forensic examination, and Sheriff Rich Beatty said authorities would work to notify victims after reviewing the evidence. Herald-Star’s report.
The full recording period, the identities of everyone potentially affected, and whether footage was shared remain questions requiring evidence. An athletic schedule alone cannot answer them.
Why visiting athletes and their families should pay attention
A student does not have to attend Brooke High for her use of a private changing area to matter. For a visiting athlete, the relevant questions include the date of the visit, the room used, and whether a device was operating there at that time.
The West Virginia Record’s September 4 report describes a visiting athlete’s complaint alleging that she used a locker room during a September 1 game. It also reports a separate proposed class action. A filed complaint is a set of allegations, and a proposed class action is not the same as a certified class or a compensation program. Neither filing establishes that all visiting athletes have the same claim. Coverage of the civil filings.
Families visiting from Ohio, Pennsylvania, or elsewhere should tell an attorney both where they live and where the school visit occurred. Residence alone does not resolve which laws, courts, or deadlines apply.
Steps families and coaches can take now
Write down the visit details. Record the event date, sport or activity, approximate arrival and departure times, and the location of the changing area, if known. Distinguish what your child remembers from what someone else said. Avoid repeated questioning or asking a child to speculate.
Keep ordinary records in their original form. Preserve schedules, travel itineraries, team messages, permission slips, and communications from either school. These may help establish attendance and room assignments. Keep the records private rather than posting rosters or students’ names online.
Ask for a clear reporting contact. Contact your school’s athletic director or administrator and the investigating law-enforcement agency through verified official channels. Ask how visiting families should provide information and receive updates. A coach can coordinate logistics without collecting students’ sensitive accounts in a group chat.
Leave devices and sensitive footage to investigators. Do not search for, download, forward, or post suspected locker-room recordings. If you receive a suspicious link or discover a device, avoid opening or handling it further and ask law enforcement how to proceed. Do not ask a child to view material to identify herself.
Seek support privately. Give your child space to describe concerns in her own words. A school counselor or qualified mental-health professional can help address distress. Keep any treatment records and related expenses secure.
Discuss preservation with an attorney. Counsel can assess whether to request preservation of room assignments, facility-access records, inspection records, prior complaints, communications, and relevant electronic evidence. A preservation request seeks to keep evidence available; it does not establish wrongdoing or give a family access to another student’s private information.
Legal issues a West Virginia attorney may evaluate
Invasion of privacy
West Virginia recognizes invasion of privacy through unreasonable intrusion upon another person’s seclusion. In Mays v. Marshall University, the state’s Supreme Court of Appeals explained that an intrusion claim does not necessarily depend on widespread publication. Whether a particular student has a claim still depends on proof of the intrusion and the surrounding circumstances. West Virginia Judiciary decision.
For visiting families, that makes the room, timing, and evidence of surveillance central questions. A lack of proof that footage appeared online does not, by itself, resolve a potential intrusion claim.
Electronic interception
West Virginia Code §62-1D-12 provides a civil remedy for certain unlawful interception, disclosure, or use of wire, oral, or electronic communications. Available relief can include damages and reasonable litigation costs and attorney fees when the statute applies. An attorney must examine what a device captured and whether the statutory requirements are met; discovering a camera does not automatically establish every element of a wiretapping claim. Read §62-1D-12.
School supervision and responsibility
An investigation may also examine who controlled access to changing areas, what safeguards existed, and whether relevant concerns were reported. Claims against a public school board require separate analysis of negligence, governmental immunity, and statutory exceptions. The board’s liability is not automatic merely because an employee is accused of misconduct. West Virginia Code §29-12A-4.
Do not assume a child’s deadline starts at age 18
Deadlines depend on the claim and the defendant. West Virginia Code §29-12A-6 contains a generally applicable two-year period for covered claims against political subdivisions, subject to its discovery language, applicable shorter periods, and specific exceptions. Its rule for children under ten is different from a blanket extension for all minors. Read §29-12A-6.
Families should have counsel determine the applicable deadline promptly. Do not assume that waiting for the criminal case, a notification letter, or another family’s lawsuit will preserve your child’s rights.
Frequently asked questions
Does attending a game at Brooke High prove my child was recorded?
No. Attendance is a starting point for checking dates and room use. Whether a particular student was recorded requires evidence. The reports reviewed here do not establish that every visiting team or athlete was affected.
Can a visiting student ask about legal options?
Yes. A family can seek an individual assessment even if the student attends another school or lives outside West Virginia. Counsel will need to examine the visit, the evidence, and the laws that may apply.
Do we need a copy of a recording before contacting a lawyer?
No. Begin with ordinary records and what your family knows. Do not seek or circulate sensitive footage. Investigators and counsel can explain appropriate procedures for handling evidence.
Does the reported class action automatically cover my child?
Do not assume it does. The report describes a proposed class action. Class certification, eligibility, and any effect on an individual claim require further review. A reported filing is not a guarantee of recovery.
Speak with New Law Office
If your daughter used a locker room or changing area while visiting Brooke High School and you have questions, contact New Law Office for a free, confidential consultation. Our Beckley firm handles school injury matters and can discuss the circumstances, evidence preservation, and possible next steps with your family.
Call (304) 355-5565 or contact the firm. We handle accepted injury cases on a contingency fee basis; fee and expense terms are explained in the representation agreement. Please do not send sensitive images or recordings through a website form or ordinary email.
Original reporting: wdtv.com.