This year Eastmont High School has started locking bathrooms due to increased vaping in school, but students and teachers have found it causing more problems. As for now, only two bathrooms are left open during class-time: one upstairs by the social studies department and one downstairs in the commons. 

Business teacher Telenna Peterson expressed her concerns for students due to locked bathrooms. “If a young lady were to be expecting a child, holding her bladder can cause her to get a bladder infection; which could result in a lawsuit for the district.” 

Not only does this affect the rare case of teen pregnancy, but even kids with more common bladder and stomach issues could be negatively affected.

Students have expressed their concerns with the bathrooms, but there have not been any changes to the current policy. “It is unfortunate that a couple of people ruin it for everyone,” Peterson said. 

A majority of the time teachers and admin forget or do not have time to unlock all the bathrooms before the bell rings. “I get more tardies for using the bathrooms than I have getting to school,” exclaimed senior Jaysa Mccue. 

Medical issues and tardies are just the beginning of the problems. There have been overcrowding issues as well. “There was a huge line for the girls’ bathroom, by the time a stall was open the bell had just rung and I was tardy to class,” mentioned Mccue.  

These overcrowded restrooms also cause unnecessary anxiety. Senior Braxton Waters shared, “If you have to take a crap, there are only two stalls so all the other boys in the bathroom know you are taking a crap and it’s awkward.” 

Vaping led to less bathrooms open, but do less bathrooms open lead to less vaping? Senior Kayla Summers said, “If students want to [vape] they will and not necessarily in the bathroom.”