As a parent of a student at Mill Plain Elementary, I was particularly disturbed to hear about the two third-graders who were possibly denied access to the bathroom with dire, humiliating consequences. The May 21 story reported “Evergreen teacher draws ire over bathroom break system.” If such an extreme tactic is being dismissed by the school board, it’s time for the principal to intervene with a schoolwide bathroom policy. It is a basic human right to respond to the need to urinate or defecate, and to withhold access to a toilet is a clear violation. To avoid another reprehensible event, it’s time to implement a humane technique to maintain order in class. My heart goes out to the students involved, and I hope their teacher learned to err on the well-being of her students.
Rebecca Lineham
Vancouver