Students should no longer have to worry about finding a restroom after Interim Principal Isaiah Wyatt was notified of locked restroom doors.
Since about the middle of February, so many restrooms across the high school campus were locked throughout the day that students carrying hall passes had to search for an open one, which extended the time that they had to be away from class. An endeavor that usually takes five minutes became a 10-minute effort or more as students lined up outside locations that were accessible.
“I have to walk an extra distance when the bathrooms are closed, and it really sucks because it takes away from my learning experience,” freshman Isaac Luzar said.
However, a Shakerite tally of restroom entrances March 7 during 7th period found seven locked and 11 unlocked, an improvement from weeks prior.
“I didn’t know that this was a practice that we did until a few days ago,” Wyatt said. Complaints from students made their way to Shaker parents, one of whom notified him. Wyatt became principal Dec. 2, 2024.
Reasons for locked bathrooms vary, according to security and administrative sources. Restrooms are usually closed in the mornings because of crowding and messing around. Sometimes they are locked because of emergency plumbing issues. Additionally, women’s restrooms are closed due to repeated reports of girls straightening their hair and otherwise getting ready there.
Restrooms are also places where students skip class and hang out. The solution, however, leads students who don’t skip to miss instruction because they arrive late to class.
“I was one time 35 minutes late to class because the third and second floor girls’ bathrooms were closed, so I had to go from the third floor to the first floor bathroom. I got in trouble,” sophomore Sofia Boitor said.
“It was an inconvenience to me that I had to go on a hunt for an open bathroom while trying to get back to class on time,” freshman Madison Greene said.
Students have had the most trouble during the last period of the day. “One time [during 8th period] there was only one bathroom open,” freshman Matty Moore said.
Two students interviewed also said that they “almost peed” themselves when searching for an unlocked restroom.
At the same time, some students refrain from using the restroom during school hours. “I don’t use the bathrooms at all,” junior Isaiah Chanoine said.
Now that he is aware, Wyatt is trying to make a change. Said Wyatt, “We’re trying to fix it.”
7th period Journalism II Reporters Hauwa Amira Alkali, Emma Barker, Carlo Dudik, Deonna Jackson, Laurielle Jefferson, Marios Kallergis, Abigail Lipman, Nora Mays, Emmeline Millar, Ava Morris, Chloe Peebles and Victoria Sadler contributed to this report.
