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A Fort Smith mother says her daughter has taken time off school after a possible recording device was found in a girls’ changing room at the school this week.
“Right now, she is not feeling safe,” Farrah Freund said.
Earlier this week, a contractor at Paul William Kaeser High School in Fort Smith, N.W.T., found the device while cleaning air ducts.
In a media release on Wednesday, the South Slave Divisional Education Council (SSDEC) said it contacted the RCMP on Monday, who are investigating the case. The school board added that the high school and Joseph Burr Tyrrell Elementary School were both searched and no other devices were found.
The education council said it didn’t know how long the device had been there, if it was working or if any recordings were made.
Freund says she first learned about the device from a Facebook post made by the school. She was shocked and shared the news with her daughter before she found out from elsewhere.
“She had so many thoughts and feelings about it,” she said.
She added that the school sent a letter home and school staff went from classroom to classroom to speak with students.
As a mother, Freund says she was shocked, disturbed and upset — not just for her daughter and local students, but also for visiting athletes who had recently travelled to the school for a volleyball tournament.
Freund says she wants to see transparency and accountability, as well as preventative measures, as the investigation unfolds.
“It’s about the safety and dignity and privacy of the young girls of the school and the responsibility that we all have … to protect them.”
The discovery sparked searches at other locations. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the Town of Fort Smith said it inspected all public washrooms and change rooms at the Fort Smith Recreation Centre and the arena and found no suspicious devices.
Freund says while the inspections are reassuring, the incident has shaken members of the community.
“We use all of these buildings and like, the last thing you want to worry about is being watched and being followed, and you want to feel comfortable and safe in your home community,” she said.
Other schools in the territory have also conducted searches. Shirley Zouboules, superintendent for Yellowknife Education District No. 1, said in a letter to families Friday that the district is doing a “systematic search” of its schools. It said some of its students were in Fort Smith for a tournament in mid-October.
“This discovery is concerning for all members of the community,” Zouboules wrote.
“If it becomes apparent that any of our students or staff were impacted by this incident, we will be in direct contact with them.”
Yellowknife Catholic Schools superintendent Adam Murray said his district had searched its schools as well and found no devices.
Territory considers long-term measures
The South Slave Divisional Education Council declined a phone interview but answered questions by email. A spokesperson said that the council has notified schools whose students attended the recent volleyball tournament.
The education council added that it is reviewing potential measures to strengthen student privacy and safety across its schools.
In an emailed statement to CBC News, Education, Culture and Employment Minister Caitlin Cleveland said she is “deeply concerned” about the discovery of this device and that her department is in contact with the RCMP and the council.
“While there is no reason at this time to believe this is anything but an isolated incident, we are taking precautionary measures,” the statement said.
Cleveland added that the territorial government is determining appropriate measures across the N.W.T. to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.
“As this is an evolving situation, longer-term plans for wider mitigations are actively being discussed,” the statement said.
RCMP said the investigation is in its initial stages and declined an interview request.
The education council has said students seeking support can speak with the school’s wellness worker or contact the Fort Smith community counselling program at 867-872-6310.
