Teacher filmed disruptive students to restore order, now faces child abuse charges

A contract teacher who briefly filmed a classroom two or three times to quiet disruptive middle school students has been reported to police on suspicion of emotional child abuse by education authorities.

According to the North Gyeongsang Province Office of Education, a complaint alleging child abuse during class was filed with education authorities in early July against a contract teacher, identified only as A, at a middle school in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.

An investigation found that A, who had been working at the school since May, recorded the classroom two or three times after students repeatedly made noise and refused to follow instructions during lessons.

Each video clip lasted about five seconds. A reportedly told students at the time that the footage would be shared with their parents. The investigation found, however, that A never sent the videos to any parents and deleted them all.

After the complaint was filed, the North Gyeongsang Province Office of Education convened a personnel advisory committee to review the case.

A told the committee that students had been noisy when class began and that repeated requests to sit down and be quiet went unheeded. "I filmed the video for the purpose of quieting them down," A was quoted as saying.

The committee nonetheless ruled that A had committed emotional abuse, citing students' complaints of discomfort over being filmed without consent to their portrait rights. It ordered A removed from homeroom duties and issued a formal warning from the school principal.

Police, who received the referral from education authorities, have booked A on charges of violating the Child Abuse Punishment Act and are gathering facts about the case.

"We will determine whether the charges are substantiated after establishing the exact circumstances of the incident," a police official said.

The North Gyeongsang branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union said the action amounted to a clear infringement of teachers' rights, noting that A never sent the videos to parents. The union said it planned to consult with A before taking formal action.

An official from the North Gyeongsang Province Office of Education said the agency was obligated to report any signs of suspected child abuse, however minor, to the relevant authorities. "We are reviewing measures to prevent a recurrence," the official added.