TENNESSEE BILL PROPOSES CAMERAS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOMS WITH PARENT APPROVAL
A Tennessee state bill introduced by Representative Kevin Raper of Cleveland would require local education agencies and public charter schools to install and maintain video camera surveillance systems in special education classrooms to continuously monitor students, teachers, and staff during special education or related services.
The proposal aims to enhance student safety, particularly for nonverbal children or those unable to advocate for themselves, amid recent news reports of abuse cases involving students with special needs. Installation and use would require written consent from more than 50 percent of parents in the affected classroom. Supporters, including parents like Dana Thomas of Hamilton County, whose fifth-grade daughter Avery attends such a class, argue that cameras could provide protection and accountability, as she has seen heartbreaking stories of mistreatment that vulnerable students cannot report.
However, the bill has sparked privacy concerns among some parents, such as Jessica Parson, whose autistic fifth-grader is self-aware and uncomfortable with being photographed or recorded. Footage would be accessible only to parents of students appearing in the video and must comply with federal privacy laws. The legislation, filed as House Bill 1701 in mid-January 2026, is set for debate during the current legislative session.
