The Houston Federation of Teachers (HFT) has boldly stepped up to file a grievance against the Houston Independent School District (HISD), specifically targeting Sharpstown High School's stringent bathroom policies. As outlined in the complaint, the union is fighting back against what many see as an oppressive system that infringes upon the rights of students to attend to their most basic bodily needs. These policies require students to carry conspicuous orange cones as hall passes and put severe limits on when they can use the restroom during school hours. "The administration has made it clear to us verbally and in writing that we are to jeopardize our own student’s safety, our livelihoods, and our ethics to bar students from using the restroom if the need for the restroom is during instruction," the HFT stated in a document obtained by the Houston Press.
Amid a wave of reforms under Superintendent Mike Miles, the protocol to not allow restroom visits during instructional time at HISD's Sharpstown High has drawn severe criticism. HISD did not immediately respond to a request for comment but later stated they could not comment on pending legal matters. Teachers at Sharpstown have been directed "to jeopardize our own student's safety, our livelihoods, and our ethics" to enforce these restroom restrictions, according to a statement obtained by the Houston Press. This grievance also includes a plea for the removal of the school principal, Thomas J. Cotter, and a request that he be reported to Family Protective Services.
The situation at Sharpstown High exemplifies the broader issues within HISD's approach to student discipline and bodily autonomy. According to the Houston Chronicle, students have revealed their struggles with the policies at schools where Miles has implemented his New Education System, describing the measures as "dehumanizing" and "unsanitary." Micah Gabay, a sophomore at Worthing High School, told the Chronicle, "We don't really mind the cones, but it’s just a big inconvenience, and it's also really nasty, because some kids, even though we're in high school, don't wash their hands after they use the restrooms."
In addition to the grievances regarding bathroom access, Sharpstown's teacher further emphasized the dire situation by highlighting that the school, built for 1400 students, is overloaded with a population of 1800+. It has been noted that administration has kept some washrooms locked, further complicating the matter for students needing to use them during brief passing periods. These policies have reportedly led some students to forgo restroom use entirely or to donate allocated "restroom passes" to classmates in need, as mentioned in an interview by student Micah Gabay with the Houston Chronicle. Furthermore, a distressing account recalls a female student who was forced to suffer menstruation through her clothing because she was denied access to the restroom during class time.
