WELLSBURG, W.Va. — Brooke High School Principal Eric James has been fired by the Brooke County Board of Education.
County school officials voted to terminate James’ contract Monday night. The embattled now-former principal was arrested last month for allegedly recording girls in their dressing rooms at the school.
Each member of the Brooke County Board of Education expressed sadness about the heartbreaking nature of the case. Board vice president Dr. Robert Marks said his heart goes out to the victims of James’ reported actions.
“I feel hurt for our people, and affected, and that quickly turns to anger,” Marks said. “These are people of our school family, and I care deeply about them, and for them, as many of our board members do, and have cared for these people.”
According to the board, James, 53, sent in his resignation after the board agenda was finalized. His resignation was ignored and instead he was fired outright.
Earlier on Monday, the Brooke County Sheriff’s Office filed additional criminal charges against James.
James appeared in an orange jail jumpsuit for a preliminary hearing in Brooke County Magistrate Court and it was announced that he faces two new state charges of wiretapping. According to magistrate court records, James now faces a total of three counts of wiretapping and one count of breaking and entering a non-residence.
A magistrate has doubled James’ bail from $100,000 to $200,000.
His new preliminary hearing is set for next Monday, Sept. 21.
There were about a dozen protesters set-up outside the Brooke County Courthouse Monday. They were holding signs calling for stiffer laws when it comes to illegally video recording children.
Brooke County Sheriff Richard Beatty told MetroNews last week the cameras looked like ink pens. He said they were originally found by a school janitor who reported it to the sheriff’s office.
“When we opened up that first device, there was actual footage of him setting it in place and adjusting the camera angle to be sure he was getting what he was looking for,” Beatty said.
Along with the footage of James adjusting the angle, they saw the first frame which revealed a female victim. They immediately stopped and have sent all four devices to the state crime lab in Morgantown. Investigators searched James’ office at the school and his school phone. They also obtained search warrants for his home in Marshall County where all electronic devices there were seized as well.
Brooke County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jeffrey Crook said there was a lot of bravery shown by the victims coming forward.
“I want to commend the high school, staff and the students at the high school,” Crook said. “I’d like to commend the sheriff’s department for all the hard work that they did in bringing this guy to justice.”
Another board member, Stacy Paris, said it’s important not to forget James is an outlier with his alleged actions, and that Brooke County staff truly cares about their students.
“We have some really strong students, and I think that we need to remember that as we move forward,” Paris said. “What has gone on over the last few weeks, it has been very, very traumatic. I just want you to focus on the good, too. We have a lot of good students; we have a lot of good staff. Don’t lose sight of that.”
Marks said that past principals and school leaders in Brooke County have shown the qualities needed for the role, doing the right thing even when people weren’t watching.
“They put others above themselves,” Marks described. “That’s what we demand of people. That’s how we will hire the next person, and that’s how we’ve hired people. We want all of those attributes.”
Resident Megan Rogerson called upon the board to hire someone from within the Brooke County school community as the next Brooke principal. She said that 397 people have signed a petition on that matter.
“As Bruins, we welcome everybody with open arms,” Rogerson said. “That’s who we are. You don’t have to be born here to become a Bruin or be part of the Bruin family, and this is not about shoving anybody out in particular, but sometimes the person that you are searching for is right here in front of your face, and right here today.”
Rogerson said that a community member will understand how to guide Brooke out of a tumultuous time — the right way.
“Our students have been through enough,” Rogerson said. “They deserve stability, they deserve to feel safe, and they deserve leadership that they can trust. They deserve to know that the adults making decisions for them are listening to their voices. The decision you make will send a very strong message to every student, every staff member, every parent, and every person in this community about what and who you value.”
James remains in the Northern Regional Jail.