I can say from personal experience that I have had so many problems with the Toll Gate Bathrooms. Now here is what I am not going to do. I will not sit here and talk bad about the school, but to me this new bathroom policy is an OUTRAGE. 

To start off  this issue affects student health, dignity, and rights with public education. While schools may establish rules for valid reasons, these policies must align with obligations under state and federal law. I am tired of the constant making a pass and having to wait in like behind over 10+ people because we only have one bathroom open.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states that schools operate under a “duty of care,” which means that while we are in their care, they must keep us safe. This duty includes bathroom access. While schools can set rules about leaving the classroom, they must be reasonable and cannot completely disregard basic needs. Not allowing bathroom access, especially if it leads to physical harm or distress, could potentially breach this duty. Of particular concern are students who may have IBS, lactose intolerance, or medical bladder/colon issues. If a student cannot access a bathroom when needed, the school is actually violating the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Schools implement many rules to manage restroom use, which are acceptable if they are reasonable and serve a clear purpose related to order and safety.  There are many rules that can be made, but locking bathrooms that sometimes don’t get unlocked during class, or not having all bathrooms open, causes students to be 10+people waiting in line. Another issue is only allowing 5 minutes per bathroom visit. It takes time to walk to said bathroom which may not even be closest to you, time to use the bathroom and even washing your hands which should take about a minute or more by itself. After all of this has been done you would have to walk back to your class all of this within 5 minutes which may seem like a lot of time but in the scheme of things, it’s not as long as some people may think. 

I would also like to ask why there is only one bathroom open and it is not even fully functioning. The one that we have open only has two toilets because the third has a broken toilet seat. Additionally, students have to shove toilet paper into the broken locks because you can fully see someone using the bathrooms in the current set up. 

I believe that the school should allow students who have a 504, or medical issues with bodily functions, to have access to an unlocked bathroom at all times. The school is responsible for ensuring that everyone is respected and is allowed a basic human right of using the bathroom.