The investigation was first confirmed by Lieutenant Jerry Brewer, spokesperson for the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office (NHCSO), on Thursday. Brewer had previously acknowledged that NHCSO was aware of the existence of a covert camera that had been installed at CFCC’s North Campus, in a room used by deputies. Smith also confirmed the District Attorney’s office had requested an investigation.
Both NHCSO and Smith said they could not comment further, citing the active SBI investigation.
The SBI’s public information officer, Chad Flowers, told WHQR they are investigating an allegation of “secret peeping” at the college — he was not able to identify who the SBI believes may be responsible. Under state law, viewing or recording people without their knowledge can result in a Class I misdemeanor charge, among the more serious types of non-felony offenses.
NHCSO deputies officially took over security at CFCC in 2018, after the college disbanded its police force. At the time, President Jim Morton said, "Safety and security of our students, faculty and staff are a priority and partnering with NHCSO elevates our resolve to provide a safe and secure environment.”
According to people familiar with the situation who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation or violating policy, the camera — smaller than a quarter — was installed in the ceiling of the campus security office on CFCC’s North Campus.
Nine deputies use the office, which is used at least occasionally by deputies to file confidential reports. NHCSO would not confirm that deputies occasionally use the room to change in and out of uniform, but employees of CFCC and NHCSO, speaking on background, said that does sometimes happen.
The office is separated from the ground floor of the McKeithan Center by a vestibule that is locked when not occupied. The office itself is also locked and does not appear open to the public. CFCC declined to answer questions about who has access to the interior office space.
Asked about the allegations, CFCC Director of Communications and Media Relations Christina Hallingse responded with a general statement about the college’s security cameras, which are — unlike the covert camera in question — visibly mounted in public areas.
“Cape Fear Community College encompasses over two million square feet of facilities designed to serve students, faculty, staff, and the broader community. To help ensure the safety and security of everyone on campus, the college utilizes a network of over 600 security cameras in public and common areas. These cameras are strategically placed to monitor entryways, hallways, parking decks and lots, and other shared spaces where safety and security needs are greatest,” Hallingse wrote.
Asked if CFCC had used covert cameras, Hallingse wrote, “It is not the practice of the college to install security cameras inside individual, assigned employee office spaces.”
Beyond the statement about the college’s general practice, CFCC did not directly address the specific allegations about the covert camera in the campus security office. Hallingse declined two requests for phone interviews on Thursday and Friday, citing “back-to-back meetings.”
CFCC has faced allegations of inappropriate surveillance before. In 2020, WECT reported that the college’s HR and IT directors had accused Morton and Chief of Staff Michelle Lee of pressuring them to “keep tabs on other employees” by accessing emails and confidential human resource files. At the time, Morton denied some allegations, declined to address some, and cited personnel privacy laws in regards to others.
In 2021, former Center of Excellence Director Suzanne Baker told WHQR her emails were being monitored, and potentially redacted, for DEI content. And in 2023, Learning Resource Center Dean Catherine Lee told WHQR that someone in IT told them their emails were being watched when they started pushing back against the CFCC administration.
Past reporting:
