Three visiting high school athletes from Francis Parker have filed a proposed class-action complaint accusing Santa Fe Christian Schools in Solana Beach of secretly recording students while they used a choir classroom as a makeshift locker room during a recent CIF event. The suit alleges the footage captured minors changing without their knowledge or consent and that it was later shared with the visiting team's administrators after school staff noticed damage to the room. The complaint, filed last Wednesday, has already prompted inquiries from other schools and concerned parents.
What the complaint says
Attorney Ellen Adler told NBC 7 San Diego the players first discovered a recording on Jan. 17 and were shocked to learn cameras had captured them while dressing. The filing accuses the school of having monitored and recorded minors while they changed, which places the case squarely in the realm of privacy and potential criminal exposure.
The proposed class action, brought by the three Francis Parker athletes, was filed last Wednesday and seeks to represent any visiting students who used the choir space, as reported by The Coast News. Adler told The Coast News her investigation suggests hundreds, if not thousands of visiting students across multiple sports may have been affected and that her firm sent preservation letters to the school before filing. The North Coastal Sheriff's Station says it has no active investigation at this time.
School responds
In a statement to NBC 7 San Diego, Santa Fe Christian acknowledged the choir classroom does have a security camera and said cameras are used throughout campus for student safety but are not placed inside locker rooms or restrooms. The school said the choir room is ordinarily used as a meeting space and that nearby restrooms are designated as the appropriate place for students to change when needed.
Legal questions and next steps
Adler told The Coast News the recordings clearly fall under the criminal statute (California Penal Code 647), while emphasizing that it will be up to the district attorney to decide whether to pursue charges. According to the suit, the school's athletic director reviewed security footage after noticing damage to the choir room, then shared the video with the visiting team's administrators. A case-management hearing is scheduled for Sept. 4 in San Diego Superior Court, where Adler expects additional plaintiffs may seek to join the proposed class.
The filing adds to a string of local legal battles over student safety and privacy and puts a spotlight on how private schools handle surveillance on campus. Parents and teams who traveled to Santa Fe Christian during the period in question are likely to track court filings and school statements closely as the case moves forward.
