A week ago, Niagara Action received information from a student at Niagara Wheatfield High School regarding an alleged violation of student rights. According to the male student, Niagara Wheatfield has severely limited access to bathrooms at the school. The original article can be read below.
Since that article was posted, Niagara Wheatfield has adjusted their current policy - they now allow two male students in the bathroom at a time accompanied by law enforcement or another adult.
Another student wrote to Niagara Action with an update on the situation:
I am a senior at Niagara Wheatfield and I would like to update you guys on the bathroom situation since the article was posted. As a male, I feel deeply hurt that I'm not trusted to be in the bathroom by myself at school. I'm 17-years-old and can't handle using the urinal without a police escort? They watch us like we're 4.
The bathroom situation is the same as previously reported apart from they now let more than one person in the bathroom. For instance, today I had to sign out of class, sign into the bathroom, wait for two individuals to exit, and then I was able to enter while being watched.
There is the off-chance you get lucky enough to find a gender neutral bathroom that isn't being gaurded. I was in the science wing today and was going in the gender neutral bathroom when two cops walked passed me.
I walked out four and a half minutes later to both cops standing directly outside the door to the bathroom waiting for me.
If anything comes from your articles, I hope it will be the safety and security of all students at Niagara Wheatfield High School.
If you would like to share your own experience with Niagara Wheatfield Schools and any of the issues raised throughout this article, please email us at niagaraaction@gmail.com.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE REGARDING BATHROOM CLAMPDOWN
“I am a student at Niagara Wheatfield High School with a problem in school that is not being talked about,” said the student whose identity is being withheld. “I am in the senior class of ‘25 and I am a male student who is denied access to the bathroom due to the school closing the bathrooms and guarding them.”
Of the nine male bathrooms throughout the school, only one is open. This bathroom is guarded by a police officer and involves a process to use.
“You sign out on a sheet of paper in class, proceed to the bathroom and wait in a line, sign into the bathroom itself, have the guard follow you in as he watches you use the restroom, and then he escorts you out of the bathroom,” explained the student. “You then sign out and walk back to class and sign back in.”
Niagara Action received a copy of an email that was sent by Niagara Wheatfield administration to students that contains an explanation for the drastic measures put in place. It says the following:
“As you may have heard, there have been some poor choices being made by a small number of our male students, which is creating issues in our bathrooms. On top of vaping and vandalism, at least one student is responsible for spreading peanut butter on walls and sinks, which is incredibly dangerous, if not life threatening for some students.
In order to maintain safe conditions for all of our students, we have limited the number of open bathrooms so we can monitor the physical environment. To be clear, no student has been denied bathroom access.”
However, the student says that this is not only false but over dramatized.
“The problem with the whole smoking thing is that our school is under construction,” claimed the student. “The school is covered in smog from all the construction and dust particles regardless of what they’re doing about the bathrooms. The peanut butter was actually a chocolate fudge stick with NO peanut butter. The ‘vandalism’ constituted juice cups that get left in there occasionally.”
Niagara Wheatfield has been under tremendous pressure lately due to allegations of a continued failure to address issues of bullying, sexual assault and harassment. Niagara Action published an article on November 7th outlining allegations from the parent of a female student who is being bullied with no action being taken by administration. You can read that article by clicking HERE.
“The school has been under extreme pressure lately because of the bullying which has not been addressed,” the student said. “There is no anti-bullying campaign or anything being done in our school to prevent the problem. There is also no awareness being spread regarding drugs which is a serious issue as one of our students overdosed two years ago.”
Students are suffering the consequences for the administration’s failures.
“We have metal detectors and armed guards but no bathrooms without being watched by a cop. There are more important problems than bathrooms, yet this is where their attention is focused.”
A petition was created by students which has over 100 signatures. You can access it here: https://www.change.org/p/ensure-access-to-all-restrooms-for-males-at-niagara-wheatfield-high-school
If you would like to share your own experience with Niagara Wheatfield Schools and any of the issues raised throughout this article, please email us at niagaraaction@gmail.com.
Niagara Wheatfield High School now Allowing Two Males in the Bathroom at a Time Watched by Police