Students and parents in the Caldwell School District are concerned over a new restroom protocol at Canyon Springs High School, requiring students to be supervised or escorted to the bathroom by a faculty member.
The change in protocol was sparked by an incident of vandalism in a restroom in the beginning of the school year, according to Caldwell School District Superintendent Dr. Shalene French.
The vandalism involved a pipe being broken and a bathroom wall tagged with spray paint.
Dr. French says the new bathroom regulations are to teach the students a valuable lesson about the importance of respect -- not only for each other and for faculty members, but for their building facilities as well.
Teachers now supervise bathroom trips during class, or escort a group of students at once. The regulations will be in place until the administration feels students have learned their lesson -- and vandalism is no longer a concern.
"On occasion, everyone needs to be reminded of these expectations," Dr. French said in a written statement to 6 On Your Side. "The process may include re-establishing the expectations through practice and by modeling the behavior."
Alejandra Reitin is a senior at Canyon Springs. She said, since the beginning of September, she’s been allowed to only use the restroom when she can squeeze it in between classes or if the teacher has the time to stop a class and escort her. “So if you’re on hall check, you have to be escorted -– or the teacher has to stop what he or she is doing, stop their teaching, and basically walk you the few feet down to the bathroom,” she said.
“Currently, I'm still recovering from an infection -- and (the bathroom escorts) are causing my infection to get worse,” Reitin added. “I feel bad for that because it's like, ‘Darn it. I have to stop the lesson’ (to be escorted to the bathroom).”
Dr. French says accommodations are being made for any students who have addressed medical conditions with administration, but many students feel everyone should be allowed to use the restroom throughout the day as often and whenever they'd like.
Reitin feels all students should be treated with the same respect their teachers expect of them, and should be treated like responsible adults. “It’s kind of sad to be treated like a child on this level,” she stated.
