Community Member Petition to the Fairfax County School Board: Return to Front-Facing Camera View for Adult Speakers during Community Engagement

Summary of the Issue:

During the Community Engagement portion of Fairfax County School Board meetings, the video feed for in-person speakers does not show the speaker’s face. Only participants who send in pre-recorded videos or are speaking online are able to present a front-facing video testimony. A front-facing camera view of all community speakers during public comment period would allow every speaker - whether they are in-person, virtual participants, and those live-streaming or recording - equal opportunity for more meaningful and personal engagement.  

We respectfully request that FCPS adjust the camera to show community speakers face to face.

Full Letter:

During the Community Engagement portion of Fairfax County School Board meetings, the video feed for in-person speakers does not show the speaker’s face. Only participants who send in pre-recorded videos or are speaking online are able to present a front-facing video testimony. A front-facing camera view of all community speakers during public comment period would allow every speaker - whether they are in-person, virtual participants, and those live-streaming or recording - equal opportunity for more meaningful and personal engagement.  

The current practice of filming the entire room, and not the face of the speaker is a fairly new, informal, post-COVID era practice. There are no rules or regulations requiring this practice to continue. We believe it produces a disconnect between the community presenters and the audience.  

Why does this matter?

1. Showing a community members' face during public testimony would support the concept of public speech. Speakers who address the Board have chosen to make public remarks on the public record, in a public forum, on a public livestream.

2. Community members are inadvertently dehumanized. Community members who take the time to prepare remarks, show up in person and speak publicly to their elected officials deserve to be seen as full participants in the democratic process, not reduced to anonymous speaking silhouettes.

3. Not showing someone’s face undermines empathetic connection for the viewing public. Many Fairfax County residents watch the meetings from home or attend in person. What could be a meaningful human connection as a community speaker is stripped to a flattened public testimony of a disembodied voice.

4. Privacy can be protected without anonymizing speakers by default. In-person speakers could be granted an opt out of front facing testimony on video. Most public bodies — including Fairfax County's own Board of Supervisors — show speakers' faces during public comment as a matter of course.

As engaged community members of Fairfax County, we respectfully request that FCPS adjust the camera to show community speakers’ faces during public speech.