Bathroom Vandalizations Raise Student Concerns
Social media trend may be inspiring thefts when bathrooms are needed for hygiene.
By Ethan Percival
Social media trend may be inspiring thefts when bathrooms are needed for hygiene.
By Ethan Percival
On Thursday, Sept. 2, the 150-wing boys’ bathroom was closed after it was vandalized. Two weeks later, Pioneer closed down a majority of its available student bathrooms, disadvantaging many students. Assistant Principal Amy Hanna said, “The soap dispensers were removed and broken, there was toilet paper on the ground, and soap all over the floor.”
This isn’t the first time school bathrooms have been targeted, however. Multiple vandalizations occurred before Pioneer students entered distanced learning. Just over a year ago, while staff were on an otherwise-empty campus teaching from the classrooms, a rash of bathroom vandalisms led Principal Herbert Espiritu to begin locking the bathrooms at 3:45 every afternoon to keep unwanted people out.
Now that students are back in person, Assistant Principal of Discipline Tim Gavello said the school needs the facilities available in order to keep up hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We can see students going in and out of the bathroom on the security cameras, but we aren’t able to see who it is,” said Gavello. “The school may have to lock the bathrooms during brunch and lunch, and only make them available during class, or have more people monitoring the bathrooms, but that hurts the student body as a whole.”
“It inconveniences me since most of my classes are in the back of the school and I would be forced to use a gendered bathroom in order to not miss out on a lot of class time trying to walk to the gender-neutral one,” said Ashton Tran, 12. “The time that I have tried to use the gender-neutral bathroom, it's been closed, which again forces me to use the gendered bathrooms which makes me uncomfortable because I use the one that doesn't align with my gender identity.”
The shutdowns have affected other students as well, including Andrew Mauga, 11.
“I find it irritating that in order for us to use the bathroom, we have to go to a designated area rather than those in the vicinity,” said Mauga. “During lunch and class, the closest bathrooms for me were closed. It's infuriating and inconvenient for most students like myself to have to walk or run far away, then rush back in order to not miss class. I know there's a trend going on, but those people shouldn't account for all the students in school. Because of them, we shouldn't have to issue a campus-wide restriction. We need the bathrooms.”
The trend Mauga is referring to is the “Devious Licks,” trend on TikTok, where students are encouraged to commit acts of theft and vandalism. On Sept. 17, Gavello sent an email to staff asking that students not be allowed to take their phones to the bathroom in order to try to cut down on shenanigans.
“We’re calling on the student body to help identify the students,” said Gavello. “If you saw or heard anything, talk to an admin in the office.”
This isn’t the first time school bathrooms have been targeted, however. Multiple vandalizations occurred before Pioneer students entered distanced learning. Just over a year ago, while staff were on an otherwise-empty campus teaching from the classrooms, a rash of bathroom vandalisms led Principal Herbert Espiritu to begin locking the bathrooms at 3:45 every afternoon to keep unwanted people out.
Now that students are back in person, Assistant Principal of Discipline Tim Gavello said the school needs the facilities available in order to keep up hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We can see students going in and out of the bathroom on the security cameras, but we aren’t able to see who it is,” said Gavello. “The school may have to lock the bathrooms during brunch and lunch, and only make them available during class, or have more people monitoring the bathrooms, but that hurts the student body as a whole.”
“It inconveniences me since most of my classes are in the back of the school and I would be forced to use a gendered bathroom in order to not miss out on a lot of class time trying to walk to the gender-neutral one,” said Ashton Tran, 12. “The time that I have tried to use the gender-neutral bathroom, it's been closed, which again forces me to use the gendered bathrooms which makes me uncomfortable because I use the one that doesn't align with my gender identity.”
The shutdowns have affected other students as well, including Andrew Mauga, 11.
“I find it irritating that in order for us to use the bathroom, we have to go to a designated area rather than those in the vicinity,” said Mauga. “During lunch and class, the closest bathrooms for me were closed. It's infuriating and inconvenient for most students like myself to have to walk or run far away, then rush back in order to not miss class. I know there's a trend going on, but those people shouldn't account for all the students in school. Because of them, we shouldn't have to issue a campus-wide restriction. We need the bathrooms.”
The trend Mauga is referring to is the “Devious Licks,” trend on TikTok, where students are encouraged to commit acts of theft and vandalism. On Sept. 17, Gavello sent an email to staff asking that students not be allowed to take their phones to the bathroom in order to try to cut down on shenanigans.
“We’re calling on the student body to help identify the students,” said Gavello. “If you saw or heard anything, talk to an admin in the office.”