Metea Valley administrators restrict use of gender neutral bathrooms
Metea Valley administrators restricted the use of gender neutral bathrooms that are attached to each of the class houses as of Monday, May 6. These bathrooms were previously open to any student, but were locked from the outside due to restrictions on who enters the bathrooms at all times.
“We think that by locking the outer doors so that there’s a little bit more control of who is using the washrooms, we can minimize the damage and just trying to protect the safety of everyone,” Dean Matthew Walpole said.
Students were freely using these bathrooms when necessary after the locking of other bathrooms in the school, so administrators decided to implement a new policy requiring students to sign in before using gender neutral bathrooms. Students can still use these restrooms, however, they need permission from guidance secretaries in each of the class houses.
“At times, since we have been having to lock bathrooms in the locker banks, there has been more use to these [gender neutral] bathrooms, so I do think it affects a lot of different students and staff members as well,” Walpole said.
Even though the administrators of the school do not think that this is a problem for students at the school, it is causing many issues among students. Students that feel the need to use the gender neutral bathrooms now have a hard time using the bathroom in general. Also, students that are affected by the general closing of bathrooms in the locker banks have a harder time using the bathroom when they need to.
It is a convenience for students that feel as though they don’t fit in either of the gender specific bathrooms. Danny Anderson is a junior at Metea Valley. In Anderson’s case, he is at the point in transition where he does not completely pass as a man, but does not look like a girl either. He gets questioning looks regardless of the bathrooms he goes into. Having the gender neutral stalls was convenient for Danny and others that are in his case.
“Nobody else has to go into the main office, sign your name and the time you enter and leave just so that you can take a pee. It’s annoying and, honestly, embarrassing,” Anderson said. “They keep track of how long you’re in there too. I shouldn’t have to be interrogated on why it took so long for me to use the restroom. That’s just humiliating.”
Other students also believe that Metea Valley does not care about the well being of their students, which is reflected through what they have done with their bathrooms.
“Metea acts like it cares about more issues such as putting tampons in the bathroom or having gender neutral bathrooms, but they don’t refill the tampons or the pads in the bathroom and then they lock the gender neutral bathroom. So, I don’t really understand why Metea is making these huge deals about incorporating these things but not maintaining them or allowing access to them,” senior Naomi Douglas said.
Students hope that administrators at Metea realize the problems that they are causing with students and find better ways to solve these problems.
Alexandra Guckel is a senior and is the Print Editor- in-Chief of the Stampede for her third year on staff. If she is not doing schoolwork, you can usually...
A concerned senior • May 21, 2019 at 1:17 pm
The locking of the gender neutral bathrooms has prevented me from actually using the bathroom during the school day. Teachers aren’t willing to let students go to the bathroom during class, kids needing the gender neutral bathrooms can’t go during lunch, and there isn’t enough time to go to the bathroom during passing period now that the doors are locked and the students are required to sign in. There needs to be an alternate solution. It isn’t just transgender/non binary people that are having issues going to the bathroom in school. Everyone is suffering because they can’t even get into a bathroom. There needs to be another solution to get kids to stop vaping in the bathroom. It isn’t healthy to have to hold it throughout the entire school day, every day, because we are denied access to the bathrooms. I’d rather have them take the doors off, or have deans standing right outside than not be able to use the bathroom and deal with cramps all day. Thank goodness I’m going off to college, it seems like the school is only going to get worse for the underclassmen.
Alisha • May 21, 2019 at 12:28 pm
I find this discriminatory. If non-binary/trans people need to sign-in to use the restroom they should make everybody in general because I don’t think gender neutral bathrooms are the only bathrooms that are being misused.
Reilly Koyl • May 21, 2019 at 11:42 am
While I disagree with the pure social influence viewpoint on gender, but if a student doesn’t feel comfortable in the bi-gendered bathroom system for whatever reason then we should have open for them. I don’t feel like it’s a good option for just ANYONE to enter those bathrooms though, because I know people who have identified as a different gender are targets for sexual abuse and assault, so from an administrative standpoint I see why they are doing it. With the 2015 Transgender Survey by the USTS, 47% of transgender people are sexually assaulted are sexually assaulted in their lives. Protection is of the upmost importance because I care about people like Danny, and he doesn’t deserve to experience. I cannot defend them forever though, the administration needs to present evidence as to why they are doing this because if they do not, I will not defend them anymore.
Abby Kauppila • May 20, 2019 at 10:34 am
I hope the administration or whoever realizes that it is not in the students’ best interest to walk around the school to use bathrooms, wasting their time in class. I hope someone realizes that using the bathroom, regardless of gender identity, is a right and should be provided to everyone. I hope this school gets better, and we can excrete in peace.
lydia • May 18, 2019 at 9:12 am
would they just let us pee
Isabella R • May 17, 2019 at 9:56 am
Whenever I read these articles on Metea Media, I usually think that it’s just a student complaining after reading them, but this time, I think it’s about an actual issue. We shouldn’t treat people who are gender neutral or trans differently, and by enforcing this new rule, the staff is doing just that. In a way, they’re shaming these students and putting them on a lower platform than the rest of the kid in Metea, which is a huge problem I never thought Metea would have. The Metea administrators claim that they have good intentions, and they probably do, but even though they think they are doing something beneficial for our school, this is a huge step in the wrong direction. Metea should look into changing this restriction because it is unfair and potentially harmful for its students.
Chris Benoit • May 17, 2019 at 9:29 am
Locking the bathrooms is way worse than anything I ever did
Dylan McGovern • May 17, 2019 at 8:23 am
Here is yet again, another pointless and dumb addition of Metea Valley! Stop locking the bathrooms, Metea. You know it is pointless, we all do. Locking gender neutral bathrooms? Think, will you?
Killian Fan • May 17, 2019 at 7:44 am
We thinK THaT BY locking tHe OUTeR dOORS SO tHaT theRe’s A LItTlE bIT mOrE cONTRol Of Who iS USInG tHe WAShRoOms, WE CAN MiNiMIZE The damaGE and jUsT tryinG To proTEcT thE SAFeTY Of eVEryonE
heyy • May 16, 2019 at 10:08 pm
wow. the authorities must be glad that they don’t have to sign in to use the bathroom, but some of us do.
Jaaggruth Kondakalla • May 16, 2019 at 5:39 pm
School: Locks bathrooms
Students: Uses different bathrooms
School: *Suprised Pikachu Face*
peach • May 16, 2019 at 2:08 pm
I identify as non-binary and used to go to these bathrooms since they were the bathrooms I felt most comfortable in. I’m not going to sign in to use a bathroom. I get enough looks from substitute teachers who think I am not allowed to use those bathrooms when I’m not a girl or a boy. Stop locking the girl and boy bathrooms in the first place. It is not a privilege to pee.
darkstripe • May 16, 2019 at 1:01 pm
if enough of the student body wets their pants then maybe it will convince school admins to open bathrooms again
Kodak Black • May 16, 2019 at 12:55 pm
we ThINk that BY loCkINg THE oUTER DOors so THAt therE’s a litTlE BIT mOre coNtrol OF wHo Is USing the wAShROOms, We cAn MinimiZe THE dAMAgE AND JusT trYIng TO pROtECT The SAFETY oF evERyoNe
irritating • May 16, 2019 at 12:37 pm
Why should we have to SIGN IN to use a bathroom? It really is a question of authority; whereas the staff use the bathroom freely with their keys and students have to get monitored to use the restroom. The gender-neutral bathrooms should be openly accessible to anyone who needs it, whether transgender, cisgender, or gender-neutral. And even though the bathrooms are still available, the secretaries seem irritated or annoyed when students ask to use them. It’s truly a simple, ‘yeah, sure go ahead’, no signing in, no monitoring, it’s just a bathroom. Honestly.
Hi • May 16, 2019 at 12:24 pm
This makes it so you can no longer use the bathroom during a passing period. That means that students have to go to class and then leave, which forces them to lose valuable education. This is very counterproductive
BOB • May 16, 2019 at 12:20 pm
If I got to use the bathroom for what I got to do then why do i have to go all the way to the office to sign in. nobody will do this and there will be no point
McKinley • May 16, 2019 at 12:01 pm
yo bruh if the bathroom is gender neutral how come peeps are locking it and making you sign in on it like lol, i came to use the bathroom not ask the staff to sign in get the key unlock the door use the bathroom sign something then give the key back like it makes no sense. Issa bathroom lemme just do what I gotta do and dip out
PurpleDragon • May 16, 2019 at 11:43 am
This is too extreme. No one should have to sign in and out to use the washroom. If the administrators stopped locking the bathrooms in the locker banks, then the use of these bathrooms wouldn’t be so abused. What do they expect students to do? They want us to go to class, but we take more time when we need to either sign out to use the bathroom or go to the other side of the school. What else can we do honestly?
this is ridiculous • May 16, 2019 at 8:36 am
it’s ridiculous how hesitant the school is when it comes to acting on these issues. there is no unity here; it’s students vs authority. kind of a prison, honestly. it’s 2019, step up your game.