School Administration Bans Students From Using The Restroom During Class

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
May 23, 2023 7:00 PM EDT

Every student has had this dreaded interaction with a K-12 teacher.

"Can I use the restroom?"

"I don't know, can you?" 

Not only is it unoriginal, but most children will not understand the grammatical problem at hand. That's because there is no grammatical problem with "Can I use the restroom," and teachers who act like there is are simply in the mood to be pedantic. I remember a specific Southern brand of this interaction vividly from elementary school. 

"May I use the restroom?" 

"May I use the restroom what?"

"May I use the restroom please?" 

"May I use the restroom ma'am."

Insisting that "ma'am" is a universally accepted indicator of respect is a Southern notion that we don't have time to get into today. Long story short, most teachers do not care this much about going to the restroom. As long as kids ask, it's not a problem for the majority of educators. One teacher shared her school's insane new bathroom policy on Reddit, and her fellow teachers are already poking holes in its efficacy. 

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  • 01
    Font - r/Teachers u/lintwhite. 23h Administration decided that with 2 days left in the year, the kids can't go to the bathroom anymore
    via u/lintwhite
  • 02
    Font - I guess this stems from too many kids skipping or spending too much time in the bathroom or running "errands," but the administration has decided the students cannot leave the room for anything. At all.
    via u/lintwhite
  • 03
    Font - I can understand trying to keep the kids in the classrooms because they're getting antsy and wanting to wander or visit their friends in other classes or skip but not letting them use the bathroom during class is going too far, especially since they don't let them go much between classes either.
    via u/lintwhite
  • 04
    Font - The worst part is that my class is right in front of the office so I can't just say screw it and let them go because there are admins coming and going all the time. In the words of my students...they're doing too damn much.
    via u/lintwhite
  • 05
    Font - smartypants99 - 22h Take the whole class to the restroom. Then they are supervised and not wandering the halls Reply 373
    via u/smartypants99
  • 06
    Font - Ameliap27 I do this all the time. I have SPED students that sometimes just need a break so we do restroom trips and then walk around for a couple minutes (I call them "nature walks" since I teach science). 20h ● 4120
    via u/Ameliap27
  • 07
    Font - werdsmart. 22h This is definitely a malicious compliance that would work to solve three problems at once! 123
    via u/werdsmart
  • 08
    Rectangle - Pure-Budget-2647 • 22h even better, take the whole class to the bathroom every time one kid has to go. extreme malicious compliance 108 108
    via u/Pure-Budget-2647
  • 09
    Font - cesarjulius 23h one brave student has to piss in a gatorade bottle in the corner of the room to make the point. Reply 1k ↓
    via u/cesarjulius
  • 10
    Font - Good_With_Tools 22h 1 Award My 7th grade reading teacher had a rule that you were only allowed 3 bathroom passes per semester. I reached my 3, but had to go after that. Things were getting bad. I wasn't about to piss myself in my seat, and I told her I didn't have a choice. She told me to go to my seat. So, I pissed in a potted ficus tree in the corner. I got 2 days of in school suspension, but she had to abandon her stupid rule. I hated that lady. ... 944
    via u/Good_With_Tools
  • 11
    Font - really badspeeller 21h We had a similar crack down with we couldn't bring water bottles to class. Well that pissed my cross country coach off who did not want dehydrated runners passing out. He told us always ask permission first and if they say no wait until it's the least disruptive time get up go get get a drink a water and if they have any further problems tell them to come to my room (he taught in the same building). Rule got repealed in one day and one got more than a lunch detentio
    via u/reallybadspeeller
  • 12
    Font - NJShadow. 15h I'll never understand how half of these stupid rules come to be. They ban things like water, gum, etc. in high school, and then BAM, college professors are like "s'all good, bruh." ... 4 75 +
    via u/NJShadow
  • 13
    Font - thecooliestone • 22h Time to send a mass message saying "attention parents. As per Admin, students may no longer use the restroom. Any questions or concerns about this new policy can be directed to admin.email @getfucked dot com Reply 196
    via u/thecooliestone
  • 14
    Font - UniqueUsername82D 21h HS ELA Rural South "Please ensure your child has used the bathroom before school." .. 4105 105
    via u/UniqueUsername82D
  • 15
    Rectangle - MarathonerGirl. 21h As someone with Crohn's Disease: WTF!!?? Reply 127
    via u/MarathonerGirl
  • 16
    Font - StudentConscious1070 17h I was waiting for this comment! One time in hs I had a... accident due to a teacher who was adamant I should ask his permission to go. When I did, he would lecture me in front of 30+ other students for a whole 3 minutes. This was on my huge flare up before diagnosis, which I had to be in the bathroom within 8 seconds or else. I was also in and out of the hospital a lot during that time. He would also tell me to see a doctor each time. Gee, you think I haven't?? It
    via u/StudentConscious1070
  • 17
    Font - nuwaanda 21h I had a friend in school who had cancer and a kidney got removed. It was literally in her 504(?) plan that they were allowed bathroom access at any time due to having ONE KIDNEY. I can't imagine how this would be allowed at all. Tell some parents. They'll work as fast/faster than the news. Reply 50
    via u/nuwaanda
  • 18
    Rectangle - WhoMeJenJen • 22h Lock everyone down (denying legit needs) instead of properly dealing with the actual 'delinquents'? Sounds about right from admin. Reply 38 + ...
    via u/WhoMeJenJen

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bathrooms school teach teaching middle school restroom teachers awesome teacher reddit story teacher bathroom high school subreddit reddit thread Reddit restrooms
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