LAFAYETTE, La. — Cameras have been installed in select special education settings across Lafayette Parish as part of a new state law aimed at protecting vulnerable students and ensuring accountability in the classroom.
Act 479 requires audio and video recording in self-contained special education environments to enhance student safety.
“Our number one priority is student safety and the spirit of the law is to ensure that our students who are most vulnerable due to their disabilities are protected,” said Falin Key, director of special education for Lafayette Parish School System.
Special education teachers say the new technology is intended to safeguard both students and staff.
“We deal with all sorts of behaviors in the classroom – some aggression, some yelling – things like that. So this is just to protect the teachers, protect the students,” said Delaney Bogues, a special education teacher.
Under the statute, all recordings must be stored for a minimum of 30 days and will be reviewed as needed for investigations.
“Whoever is going to review the footage can go back to that day and time and say, ‘OK, this is what happened, this is what triggered the student. This is how the teacher reacted,’” Bogues said.
District officials say policies are in place for parents to request footage, and all affected adults in these classrooms have already been notified of the changes.
“If parents have any concerns regarding their students, if there is an allegation of abuse or mistreatment of their student, we need to know about it,” Key said.
The new system is being implemented in 124 classrooms throughout the district, all with the goal of providing a safer learning environment.
“Parents trust us with their most precious cargo, and we want to ensure that we abide by the law but also keep our students safe,” Key said.
By law, these recordings cannot be routinely or continuously monitored. The initiative marks a significant step forward in student safety and transparency in Lafayette classrooms.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
