A Texan teacher has reportedly lost her job after denying requests from her students to use the bathroom. Sure, some activities shouldn't be interrupted with a bathroom break, but this situation escalated far beyond "when you gotta go, you gotta go."
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The incident took place at Bartlett Elementary School. According to numerous outlets, including the Guardian, students of a first-grade class lost a hall pass, which is required to go on a bathroom break. For the record, the age group in a first-grade class is typically between 6-7 years old.
The teacher, Ms Barrera, used her student's bladders as a learning tool to teach how "important it is to use our things appropriately." Barrera also sent a message to parents of the affected students.
One parent posted a
message she received from the teacher on Facebook:
"Hello, parents; I want to inform you about an incident that happened today. Today, my class lost their privilege to use the restroom during class because they lost their restroom badge while being in the hallway."
"Unfortunately, we had some friends who really needed to use the restroom and ended up peeing on themselves."
"I do want to apologize for that incident. I had (a) talk with the students about how important it is to use our things appropriately, but please have a talk with them about that as well. For I know that if we both help them better understand the rules, they will understand better."
Barrera's unorthodox life lesson went as well as you would expect. Several students reportedly urinated in their clothes, and they were forced to sit in their soiled outfits until the end of the day.
The school no longer employs Ms Barrera.
Parents Want To Take The Situation With The Teacher Further
Parents of children affected by Barrera's actions are, understandably, furious. The parents are happy that the teacher is no longer employed at Bartlett Elementary but want to ensure she never works at a school in the US again.
In an interview with ABC13, one parent says, "These kids were traumatized and humiliated; they were made fun of. They were crying, begging, and pleading to use the restroom, and they were refused."
A father also makes a very good point. "If I sent my child to school smelling like that, they would call CPS (Child Protection Services). So how is it OK for me to send my child to school clean and then come home smelling like that?"
According to Conroe ISD, denying students access to a bathroom is against rules and regulations. A substitute teacher will take control of the class for the time being. CPS is reportedly not involved.
