May 25, 2006 — Three Charlotte Amalie High School students were suspended Thursday for using a cell phone camera to record an inappropriate video in a high school classroom, officials said.
The students, sophomores and juniors at the school, allegedly made the movie in a home economics class, said Lisa Forde, Department of Education deputy superintendent for the St Thomas-St. John district.
Forde said she had not seen the video but had been told by school officials that it was "inappropriate."
"I am disturbed by this situation," she said. "The Department of Education certainly does not condone such behavior on the part of our students."
Police began investigating the incident Thursday. Depending on the nature of the video, the incident could lead to child pornography charges against anyone possessing the file, said police spokesman Sgt. Thomas Hannah, who had not seen the video.
"No police report has been filed," Hannah said. "The police department is aware of the existence of this video."
A school official who had seen the video spoke on condition of anonymity, saying the video did not contain nudity and was little more than students kissing.
School officials have had difficulty enforcing a policy prohibiting students and teachers from bringing mobile phones into classrooms, Forde said.
She said it was the first such incident in recent memory at the school.
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