Political Tribune

2024, Crime, Health Care, Opinion, Social Media

Elementary School Teacher Fired After Denying 1st Graders Bathroom Access, Blamed Victims In Note to Parents

This is heartbreaking.

600
600 points

What would you do if your child was denied the right to use the bathroom at school? Parents at Bartlett Elementary School in Conroe, Texas, were left outraged after first-grade teacher Ashley Barrera reportedly prohibited her students from using the restroom, leading to several accidents in the classroom.

On Wednesday, Dec. 4, the teacher reportedly told her first-grade class they were no longer allowed to use the restroom after they lost a “restroom badge” in the hallway. According to news reports from KPRC 2 and KHOU, this decision caused several students to have accidents in the classroom, leaving them humiliated and distressed.

“My son was asked to work in an unhygienic and unhealthy environment surrounded by urine in his workspace and with emotional students in soiled clothing,” said Ashley Chancey, a parent of one of the affected children.

Another parent, Amber Johnson, said her daughter was heartbroken by the situation. “Some people were crying to death to go to the bathroom,” her daughter told her.

Adding fuel to the fire, Barrera later sent a note to parents trying to explain her actions. She wrote, “I had a talk with our students about how important it is to use our thing appropriately, but please have a talk with them… For I know that if we both help them understand the rules, they will understand it better.”

For many parents, this message felt dismissive and appeared to place blame on the students rather than taking accountability. The Conroe Independent School District acted swiftly after learning about the incident. By Friday, Dec. 6, Barrera was no longer employed by the district.

sponsored by

“Bartlett Elementary and District administrators were made aware of a situation after school dismissed on Wednesday in which a first-grade teacher at the school denied students access to the restroom as a punishment,” the district said in a statement. “This incident is not a reflection of the thousands of exceptional educators teaching in classrooms across the District.”

A letter sent to parents from the school assured families that the matter was being taken seriously. “This afternoon, we were made aware of a situation in a first-grade classroom in which restroom privileges were revoked,” the letter stated. “The class will have a current staff member to serve as the substitute teacher for the remainder of the week while we complete our investigation.”

While Barrera is no longer teaching at the school, parents like Chancey are calling for stronger measures to prevent such incidents in the future. “I think it would be incredibly important to have a policy in place regarding basic human rights: like restroom usage,” Chancey said. “These are children, and to humiliate or dehumanize, or degrade their needs in any way is absolutely unacceptable.”

Here are some of the parents’ reactions to the incident:

Research shows that anxiety in classroom settings can significantly affect students’ performance and well-being. Students who experience embarrassment or discomfort in school are more likely to face increased anxiety, which can hinder their ability to focus and participate. This highlights the importance of creating supportive and safe learning environments, especially for young children.

Featured image via Screengrab

, , ,

Terry Lawson

Posted by

I’m Terry Lawson, a writer and editor based in Alabama with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science. For the past four years, I’ve worked as a ghostwriter for various companies, delivering content that meets clients' needs. I currently work as an editor and political writer for Political Tribune, creating engaging articles. I enjoy writing and have developed strong skills in writing & editing, critical thinking, and project management. My work is fueled by a passion for storytelling and a commitment to quality.

Comments

log in

Captcha!
Forgot password?

reset password

Back to
log in