Gig Harbor High students protest surveillance cameras

Associated Press | May 01, 2007 

GIG HARBOR, Wash. - A couple of dozen Gig Harbor High School students are demonstrating outside the school today to protest the use of a surveillance camera to catch two girls kissing.

One student reporting the demonstration for the school paper, Amber Critchley, says they are saying the school shouldn't have interfered and that sexual orientation shouldn't matter.

Principal Greg Schellenberg says the protest is a disruption but classes are continuing.

He says he congratulated the students on holding a peaceful demonstration. The students are wearing "free love" T-shirts and waving peace signs.

Schellenberg says the school was wrong to show surveillance video to the parents of one girl who was seen kissing another girl. He says the parents of one girl had asked the school to report anything unusual with her.

Schellenberg says she is no longer at the school, but the other girl remains a student.

He says the school does not target gay and lesbian students.