Since the beginning of the school year, bad behavior in bathrooms has continued to plague the campus. Students across McHenry High School face the consequences of closed bathrooms and lost privileges. Only recently did the third floor bathroom reopen, but under the supervision of a security desk. It’s unfair for the vast majority of students who do nothing wrong to be punished for a small group’s problems.

At MCHS, the bathrooms are notorious for the trouble that occurs in them, whether it be vandalism, fights, or drug use. Administration is in a constant battle over how to stop this, resorting to solutions such as closing bathrooms and adding enhanced security to the problem areas.

Bathrooms are private places, allowing students to go under the radar and avoid being caught when doing what they’re not supposed to. With that being said, it is important for schools to ensure the safety and security of students while in the bathroom. 

Monitoring a bathroom can be hard to navigate, but closing the entire room should be a last resort. Although the restroom is a hot spot for behavioral issues, a majority of students are not the ones causing these issues and should not be punished for their peers’ mistakes.

Closing the bathroom does not eliminate the issue; it only re-directs the troublesome students to migrate to a different area in the building.

 Along with the bathroom now being closed, a new security desk has been installed right outside of the room. The newly added security desk is an unnecessary addition. It creates an uncomfortable and intrusive atmosphere for those students looking to just use the bathroom. 

Perhaps alternative security measures can be considered that do not compromise privacy and comfort of students, such as making efforts to find the root of the problems and stopping it before the issue grows into one that cannot be contained.