Student Faces Discipline for Locker Room Photos

A Pickens County middle school student will face discipline after she took locker room pictures of her teammates without their consent during a basketball game in Anderson County, according to school officials.

The R.C. Edwards Middle School student took the photos during a girls basketball game at Riverside Middle School in Pendleton, according to John Eby, a spokesman for the Pickens County school district. About five students were photographed and at least one was not fully clothed, Eby said.

Eby said said officials were able to confirm that the student's photos were deleted from a phone and were not transferred to any other devices.

The student will be disciplined, but the district will not discuss the punishment because of privacy rules, Eby said.

Eby said the school district has notified the parents of students involved and has also informed school resource officers from both middle schools.

Eby said students reported the incident to a school employee the night that it happened.

"Despite the wrong choice made by the student who took the photos, we are encouraged by the mature responses of ... other students who reported the issue promptly, took steps to make sure that the pictures were deleted and not shared, and cooperated with the district in our investigation," Eby said in an email to the Independent Mail.

Nikki Carson, a spokeswoman for the Anderson County Sheriff's Office, confirmed Wednesday that her agency is "looking into" what happened. She said officers are still in the early stages of the review and have not created a formal incident report related to the case.

Eby said the school district already has curriculum and programs in place to address issues such as these.

He said the district also conducts Internet safety programs for parents. Software installed on all district-issued devices also allows parents to monitor their children's activity and receive alerts about potential self-harm and cyber-bullying, Eby said.

Follow Mike Ellis and Nikie Mayo on Twitter @MikeEllis_AIM and @Nikie Mayo. Or send an email to [email protected] or [email protected]

Read More of Today's AB Headlines

Subscribe to Our Daily E-Newsletter