Family & Education

Walter Johnson High employee accused of filming students changing released on bond  

Media services employee admits to setting up camera, having ‘inappropriate attraction’ to students, court documents say

By

Ashlyn Campbell

April 17, 2026 6:24 p.m.

Share

Facebook X ReddIt Email Print Copy URL

Local news matters more than ever!

Your support keeps Bethesda Today reporting on the issues Montgomery County cares about.

Make a Contribution

A media services technician at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda who allegedly filmed female students inside in a changing room near the school’s theater was released on bond with several conditions Friday, according to Montgomery County District Court proceedings in Rockville.  

James Mulhern III, 43, of Clarksburg was charged with one count of sex abuse of a minor, according to police. On Friday, Judge Patrick Mays released Mulhern on a $10,000 unsecured bond, meaning the bond is only paid if the suspect does not appear in court. Mays released  Mulhern with several conditions, including no contact with minors, no internet access and a requirement to avoid Walter Johnson High. Mulhern’s next court date is set for May 15. 

Members of Mulhern’s family, who were present in the courtroom, declined to talk with the media Friday following the bond hearing.  

According to charging documents, two students at the school noticed a video camera in the control booth of the theater on April 7. They attempted to watch the video but were unable to. One of the students copied the memory card to their laptop, and then saw that a video was taken of a girls changing room near the theater.  

- Advertisement -

According to the documents, a man, later identified as Mulhern, is seen placing the camera down and leaving the room while it is recording. Shortly after, female students enter the room and begin changing into costumes, the documents said. The charging documents did not say how many girls were in the changing room at the time. 

At the end of the video, according to the charging documents, the same man comes back and approaches the camera to turn it off. The student emailed the contents of the memory card to Walter Johnson Principal Nicole Morgan on Wednesday.  

In a Thursday letter to the school community, Morgan said administrators were made aware of the incident Wednesday and immediately reported it to police. 

Morgan also said a staff member at the school was placed on leave without pay pending the outcome of a police investigation. The letter did not name the staff member, and noted that the incident is considered a Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) staff personnel matter and is under police investigation, limiting the amount of information that can be shared.   

Sponsored

Where Convenience, Value, and Luxury Come Home Together

From Gala to Summer Season: Celebrating Two Centennials at Glen Echo Park

Featured Now

According to charging documents, police executed a search warrant at the high school at 6400 Rock Spring Drive and Mulhern’s Clarksburg home on Wednesday and recovered several electronic devices and “items of evidentiary value,” including a video camera from the control booth.  

In an interview with police, according to the documents, Mulhern initially denied recording students in the changing room. After being shown screenshots of the video, the documents said, Mulhern allegedly identified himself in the video. He later admitted to setting up the camera and also to having an “inappropriate attraction to multiple students while working at Walter Johnson High,” the documents said. 

In court, Assistant State’s Attorney Rachel Morris of the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office said Mulhern put himself in a position to prey on young people without their knowledge and there was material that dated back several years. Charging documents did not detail any material from the past. On Friday, State’s Attorney John McCarthy said the investigation was ongoing. 

“As of right now, it’s clearly that we are talking about one event,” McCarthy said. “We’ll be working very closely with [police] and, again, the facts will dictate where we go. We’ll do our due diligence.” 

According to website archives of the SEIU Local 500, the union representing MCPS support staff, Mulhern served as vice president of the union’s media and technology chapter for MCPS. In a statement that was sent to union members and provided Friday to Bethesda Today, SEIU Local 500 President Pia Morrison said the executive board held an emergency meeting and “has taken action to release the accused board member from his responsibilities pending the outcome of the investigation.” 

- Advertisement -

Morrison said the union’s response was swift and extended “sympathies to anyone impacted by this situation and wish them strength and support on their path toward healing.”  

On Friday, Montgomery County Council of PTAs (MCCPTA) President Brigid Howe told Bethesda Today that the news about Mulhern was “gut-wrenching” for parents. 

“MCCPTA and parents across the county are going to be following this because we want to make sure that adults who … allegedly have harmed children are held accountable,” Howe said. “If there were flaws in the system’s response whether to this immediate incident or potential prior incidents, then we want to make sure the system is accountable for that as well.” 

When asked if Mulhern was previously investigated or reported by those at the high school, MCPS spokesperson Liliana Lopez said the district was “fully cooperating with law enforcement in their ongoing investigation,” but could not share any other details because it involves a confidential personnel matter.   

Digital Partners

---

Originally published at Bethesdamagazine