Is keeping the bathroom doors open revoking a student’s privacy? Many students use the bathroom as a place to take a break from class, use their phones, and talk with their friends. On the other hand, many students use the bathroom for what it is truly meant for: a bathroom. The difference in bathroom activities creates a controversy of whether the bathroom doors should remain open or closed. The privacy of closing the bathroom doors is a basic human right that students are being stripped of.
The bathroom should be a private place for everyone; with the doors being opened, people may feel exposed. Freshman Giuliana Potash commented, “When the bathroom doors have to stay open, it makes me feel uncomfortable and gives me no privacy. If I want to see how I look and [then] see everyone staring in at me, I feel awkward.” Having hall monitors required to sit in front of the opened doors does not help to ease these feelings; there is always the possibility of someone on the outside who could potentially be looking in.
The bathrooms have also become very popular after school. Since the locker rooms are closed, it makes bathrooms the place where many change after school in preparation for their sports games or practices. Many people must change in a short time period, which limits stall space and results in some people having to change in the bathroom with no stall. If the doors must remain open, who is to say that no one is watching? How would it feel to change at home with a window view right into all of your neighbors homes? “If all the stalls are taken after school and you are in a rush and need to change, you can’t because the doors will be wide open,” Potash added. Sophomore Alison Ohara shared her thoughts on the bathrooms:“I prefer the doors to be closed because without it, I feel no sense of privacy from other students.”
Although many believe that the doors should be closed, not everyone feels as strongly, including junior Jack Bourquin: “I feel the doors could remain open because it doesn’t really affect me since I just go to the bathroom to use the bathroom.” This adds to the growing controversy of whether the doors really have an impact on students. Bourquin further explained, “I just feel unfazed about it because [the doors] have been open for most of my time here at LHS, so I have grown used to it.” The open doors have been implemented and become a norm for some time now. “If the doors of the bathroom close, more people may do things that they aren’t supposed to since no one can stop them,” Bourquin added.
Even though the doors being locked bring controversial views, they do benefit our school community. Principle Matthew Sarosy commented, “The locked doors are important because our school has been up against student misbehavior and damaging school property. When we find out property is damaged, we must address it. Whether it be a cleaning issue or legitimate plumbing issue, when that happens bathrooms cannot be opened, so restrooms must be locked.” This helps keep kids safe as well as helps get necessary work done. Sarosy also explained how the hall monitors have been a great addition to our school community. He added, “Hall monitors have been wonderful and very active in helping keep a safe school environment. Bathrooms are private, and if students are going to do something against the code of conduct, the likelihood that it is in a private place increases.” The hall monitors help prevent this bad behavior within these private facilities, and without them, the doors must remain locked. Sarosy felt that this can help bring change to our school, and that students should work with him to help our school community. He expressed, “I would love to bring back the S.A.D.D club. When I went to school in the 90s, S.A.D.D was the biggest club that every high school had. This stands for Students Against Destructive Decisions. This club did well, and focused on banding students together to educate and decrease tobacco use and drunk driving. What happened as a result was that drunk driving and tobacco use decreased due to clubs. Once that happened, the club went away. I would love to bring this back and work through education, posters, guest speakers, and new things.” These locked doors and new clubs help keep our school community safe.
Students should not feel like any of their privacy is being taken away from them. The doors of the bathroom should be allowed to be closed because students feel exposed, vulnerable, and uncomfortable with them being open. While closed doors may increase some bad behavior, students being overwhelmed by a feeling of uneasiness every time they have to relieve themselves is a more important issue to address.
