Cellphones at school are a hot topic. Parents want the ability to reach their kids when needed, but administrators often see the devices as a distraction. Honestly, we can see both sides. No one ever wants to think their child will be in an unsafe situation at school, but if it happens, knowing they could call for help is reassuring. Of course, we also want our kids to learn while they’re at school and not be distracted by doom scrolling. There is plenty of gray area.
A North Carolina high school student, however, is facing felony charges after allegedly messing around with his phone at school, and it’s probably worse than you think.
A student allegedly used his cellphone to film teachers without their consent.
Eighteen-year-old Jaden Isiah-Tyler Pompey, a student at Wakefield High School, reportedly secretly filmed teachers on February 16, 2026, and again a few weeks later on March 2, according to court documents obtained by WRAL. But this wasn’t just grabbing a quick photo or video.
Pompey allegedly “used a cell phone to make a video recording of the victim by placing the cell phone underneath her skirt and pointing the camera up to her private area without her knowledge while she was teaching in a school classroom,” court documents stated.
Pompey violated the school’s code of conduct.
According to the school district’s policy, students cannot have a cellphone out during class. Pompey apparently disregarded the rule.
“At this point, law enforcement conducted the investigation, and we do not yet have all of the information. It would be premature to speculate about policy changes tied to this specific case,” Wake County Public Schools shared in a statement to WRAL. “What I can share is that we have clear expectations for student conduct and device use, and when those expectations are violated, we take swift action.”
The school district reportedly notified parents.
According to CBS 17, school officials sent a notice to parents regarding the peeping allegations.
“On March 2, a student attempted to take an inappropriate video of a staff member,” the district shared in the notice. “We immediately notified WCPSS Security and the Raleigh Police Department. Law enforcement began an investigation and charged the student with misdemeanor secret peeping.”
The district added that it will continue to prioritize the safety of the entire community.
“I want to assure you that we take the safety of our students and staff members very seriously,” the notice continued. “While privacy laws prevent me from providing much additional information about the situation, I can share that the student has been disciplined in accordance with WCPSS policies and is no longer enrolled in our school. In addition, we continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement on this investigation.”
The teenager cannot go back to his high school.
Per a judge’s order, Pompey can no longer attend Wakefield High School. Instead, he’s enrolled in SCORE B, a “virtual blended learning” program for students in violation of school policy, WRAL reported. He faces 14 felony peeping charges. His attorney claims they’re working to get Pompey the help he needs.
“We’ve already identified a few counseling options for him,” he said in court, per WRAL. “We plan to get him involved with counseling right away.”
If he really did what authorities say he did, Pompey clearly needs help. This behavior could take a terrible turn if people don’t take it seriously.
