Lori Grisham

USA TODAY Network

A Pennsylvania teenager is appealing a disorderly conduct conviction for recording students who he said were bullying him, according to his attorney.

"We think it's an improper ruling," attorney Jonathan Steele told USA TODAY Network.

According to Steele, Christian Stanfield, 15, had been bullied since the beginning of the school year at South Fayette High School in McDonald, Pa. Christian has been diagnosed with anxiety disorders, comprehension delay and ADHD.

One day in February, Christian, a sophomore, decided to document what was occurring.

"Christian wanted to show his mom how bad it was, so he took his iPad and recorded audio of the bullying," Steele said. Christian took it home and played it for his mom, Shea Love, whom he had been telling about the bullying, according to Steele.

"I didn't believe it was as bad as what it was. And when I heard the recording, I flipped out," Love said, according to a transcript of a March 19 hearing before South Fayette District Justice Maureen McGraw-Desmet.

Love contacted administrators the day after hearing her son's recording. Christian was called to the principal's office where they searched his backpack and found the iPad. According to the hearing transcript, Christian was told to delete the recording and the school principal, Scott Milburn, called the police to report the incident as a possible wiretapping case.

The school did not immediately return USA TODAY Network's calls for comment.

Police did not charge Christian with wiretapping, but did charge him with disorderly conduct. The judge found him guilty and ordered him to pay a fine of $25 and cover court costs.

According to the hearing transcript, Love said she did report incidents of her son being bullied prior to the iPad recording, including spitwads being thrown.

When asked about that incident at the hearing, assistant principal Aaron Skrbin, said, "To be blunt, I would not classify that as bullying unless I saw stuff that was occurring consistently over a period of time."

Christian continues to attend school, according to Steele. A court date for Christian's appeal is set for April 29.