A high school in the United States removed the washroom doors due to safety concerns. The bizarre development has led to the violation of privacy issues.
Texas HS removes washroom doors
The principal of a high school in Austin, Texas decided to remove the washroom doors citing safety concerns. The bizarre move was made for checking drug use following “significant behavioral events” that took place this year. A CBS Austin report revealed that Christina Steele Hantgin, the principal of Austin ISD’s Travis Early College High School, in a letter, explained the issue to the parents. She also admitted that she could have done a better job at communicating. The letter revealed that there were several conduct violations and behavioral events inside washrooms. Moreover, about 90 percent of them were drug offenses.
“We have had multiple significant behavioral events along with other student code of conduct violations that have taken place in our restrooms already this year. Our bathrooms were unsafe and student incidents are evidence of this. Ninety percent of our drug offenses this year have taken place in the restrooms. I believe part of creating a safe environment for students involves being proactive and supporting them to make better decisions. We have had no incidents in the restrooms since the removal of the doors,” stated the letter.
Lack of doors is a privacy concern
However, since the doors were removed, the school has noted zero incidents, revealed Hantgin. A separate report also assures that not even a single stall was visible from the hallway. However, the school’s move is not going well with netizens who are raising privacy issues.
According to KXAN.com, the school was out of other working methods. “My number one priority is safety. Removing the doors is one of many strategies we are planning or implementing to keep our campus a safe learning environment,” said Hantgin in the letter.