Texas High School Removes Bathroom Doors to Keep Students Safe?
A high school in Central Texas has removed the doors from the school's bathrooms to the hallways in an effort to create a "safe environment."
According to a letter from Principal Christina Steel Hantgin of Travis Early College High School in Austin published by KEYE-TV:
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.
Hantgin admits in her letter that her decision lacked proper communication and she was not completely transparent with the decision. She apologized to parents in her letter and said she understood there "is some discomfort caused by the loss of some privacy."
The story from KEYE goes on to say that there have been no incidents in the restroom since the doors were removed according to Hantgin.
So, is this decision by Travis Early College High School an invasion of students' privacy? Or is it justified to keep students safe?
It is a shame that there are problems like drug offenses happening at high schools and there are difficult decisions districts and schools have to make to take on these problems. No doubt this was a difficult decision for this school, but maybe it is a necessary decision.
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