Elementary Students Barred From Using Bathrooms Over Fears of Immigration Protests

[Mr. Peabody]

Campus Lockdown Appalls Parents
Some students at an Inglewood elementary school were barred from using the restroom.
By Hemmy So
Times Staff Writer

April 17, 2006

As students from neighboring secondary schools walked out of class recently to protest immigration legislation, one Inglewood elementary school imposed a lockdown so severe that some students were barred from using the restroom. Instead, they used buckets placed in classroom corners or behind teachers' desks.

Appalled by the school's action, Worthington Elementary School parents have complained to the school board and plan to attend another board meeting next week.

Principal Angie Marquez imposed the lockdown March 27 when nearly 40,000 middle and high school students across Southern California staged walkouts.

But Marquez, who did not return telephone calls for comment, apparently misread the district handbook and ordered the most restrictive lockdown — one reserved for nuclear attacks.

Tim Brown, director of operations for the Inglewood Unified School District, confirmed that some students were forced to use the buckets but said the principal's order was an "honest mistake."

"When there's a nuclear attack, that's when buckets are used," Brown said. The principal "followed procedure. She made a decision to follow the handbook. She just misread it."

Brown said the school district planned to update its emergency preparedness instructions to better deal with situations such as student walkouts and give more explicit direction to principals and teachers during emergencies.

Several Worthington teachers declined to comment on the lockdown, which continued into the next morning. Cathy Stewart, president of the Inglewood Teachers Assn., also would not comment.

Like many parents, Julia Campos found out about the lockdown from her fourth-grade son, who told her he had urinated in a bucket in his classroom.

She also discussed the situation with female classmates who walk home with him.

"Many of them were crying because they felt embarrassed," she said. "One girl was afraid other kids would see her."

Parents and community activists asked the Inglewood school board at its April 5 meeting to explain the principal's decision and sought assurances that administrators wouldn't repeat the March lockdown.

"There was nothing to be worried about," activist Diane Sambrano said in an interview. "There was no violence at the protests, so this was based on what? It was unsanitary, unnecessary and absolutely unacceptable."

Although her second-grade daughter did not use a classroom bucket, Zoila Juarez found the lockdown conditions appalling. Before the school board meeting, she stood outside the Worthington school gates passing out bilingual fliers that called the situation "disgusting" and "unsanitary," and encouraged parents to air their concerns before the board.

Only a handful of parents were at the meeting, but that hasn't stopped Juarez from trying to organize another group of parents to revisit the lockdown issue at the April 26 meeting to demand a full explanation for Marquez's decision.

Juarez dismissed a letter sent by Inglewood Supt. Pamela Short-Powell two days after the lockdown as having little substance or explanation for how the principal carried it out.

In that letter, Short-Powell rejected reports that children were "denied the opportunity to relieve themselves."

"Students were escorted to designated areas on campus at specific times to use restroom facilities," the superintendent wrote. "In rare instances, the emergency preparedness toiletry provisions were used."

Several students said that classmates were allowed to use regular restroom facilities, often escorted by a teacher.

Miguel Arroyo, 12, said that a school monitor would come by his classroom and walk children to the restroom.

"The principal told us we had to use the bucket for the toilet because something bad was happening outside, but our teacher said no," said Esmerelda Lopez, a fourth-grader. "And at recess, we went to the bathroom."

School board member Johnny J. Young defended the principal's decision, though he said that having children go to the bathroom in buckets was an extreme, one-time situation.

Young said that "a large percentage" of parents were satisfied with the principal's decision and expressed those sentiments during the school board meeting.

"They'd prefer to have students safe than stand in harm's way," he said.

Worthington Elementary School is seven blocks from Morningside High School, where fewer than 100 teenagers participated in the walkout. Administrators said they feared that if elementary school children were outside or in the open park behind the school, they would be swept into the crowd of protesters.

But angry parents and activists rejected that explanation, pointing out that schools with adjoining campuses to Morningside High, such as Clyde Woodworth Elementary and Monroe Middle School, did not implement strict daylong lockdowns. Woodworth elementary was under lockdown for less than an hour, and Monroe initiated a lower-level "alert lockdown," in which staff kept watch over school gates.

"Through all my years in school, we never went through anything like this," said Davon Evans, whose daughter is a first-grader. "They had their privacy taken away from them. That's not right."

[PM5K]

It's just absurd.

I don't see how teachers can get away with having absolutely no common sense.

This isn't the military, if someone orders you to do something and it doesn't sound right to you your job is to question it, not follow those orders without considering if they are right or not, and how they will affect the children.

If you lack the common sense and judgement to question orders like that then you shouldn't be a teacher.

I'm tired of teachers getting away with stupid and people excusing it away as an honest mistake....

[Yonivore]

It's just absurd.

I don't see how teachers can get away with having absolutely no common sense.

This isn't the military, if someone orders you to do something and it doesn't sound right to you your job is to question it, not follow those orders without considering if they are right or not, and how they will affect the children.

If you lack the common sense and judgement to question orders like that then you shouldn't be a teacher.

I'm tired of teachers getting away with stupid and people excusing it away as an honest mistake....

Can't fire 'em though. Teachers unions are thicker than Teamsters. It's what happens when parents lose interest in their children and decide the public schools are a big day care system.

Do what I did. Home school.

[Spurminator]

You get what you pay for...

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

They're getting sneakier. No Mexican flags in this protest propaganda.

[DarkReign]

Do what I did. Home school.

Oh boy, thats rich. Home-schooling briefly became popular when I was in school. Needless to say, their parents were usually religious zealots that thought the world was evil.

I seen some of those kids later in life. They are very weird.

[Clandestino]

yeah, i don't believe in home schooling either...

[JoeChalupa]

My kids still go to public school but I support them at home. What gets me is that there are still plenty of honor students graduating from public schools. WTF!? You get what you put in to it. I'm all for home schooling but to me it is not the answer for all and I for one cannot do it.

The best schooling DOES begin at home though.

[SA210]

Homeschooling can be a good thing. I know I don't like when my daughter comes home after she made an art project saying George Washington started war and what came of America and he was loved by everyone.

Excuse me, but many may think what the big deal is. But that puts in the kids head that war is ok. What if I don't want her to think war is ok? What if I don't want her to think politicians are loved by everyone? If I want to raise her with real Christian values, then why are they teaching her that war is ok in some cases? Not to mention they only teach you what America wants you to believe in their history books, not what actually happened.

Homeschooling can be a good choice, instead of the poison that's being taught.

[DarkReign]

...then why are they teaching her that war is ok in some cases?

Because it is.

[JoeChalupa]

Homeschooling can be a good thing. I know I don't like when my daughter comes home after she made an art project saying George Washington started war and what came of America and he was loved by everyone.

Excuse me, but many may think what the big deal is. But that puts in the kids head that war is ok. What if I don't want her to think war is ok? What if I don't want her to think politicians are loved by everyone? If I want to raise her with real Christian values, then why are they teaching her that war is ok in some cases? Not to mention they only teach you what America wants you to believe in their history books, not what actually happened.

Homeschooling can be a good choice, instead of the poison that's being taught.

Conservatives think what "liberals" teach in home schooling is poison and vice versa. Racism and other bad habits or ways of thinking almost always begin at home. At least that is my opinion. I believe all parents home school their children whether it is called that or not.
I'm very conservative when raising my children yet I teach them to be progressive thinkers.

[SA210]

Because it is.

It is Not, for a true Christian.

[SA210]

Conservatives think what "liberals" teach in home schooling is poison and vice versa. Racism and other bad habits or ways of thinking almost always begin at home. At least that is my opinion. I believe all parents home school their children whether it is called that or not.
I'm very conservative when raising my children yet I teach them to be progressive thinkers.

I can agree with that as well. I'm pretty conservative at home. I definitely don't want my daughter to think that war is ever ok though, and there is nothing wrong with that.

[Clandestino]

I can agree with that as well. I'm pretty conservative at home. I definitely don't want my daughter to think that war is ever ok though, and there is nothing wrong with that.

but war is justified in many cases... even if you don't agree with our reasons for going to war in iraq you have to agree that war was justified in ww II.. yes or no?

[JoeChalupa]

Yes. I concur.

[JoeChalupa]

But I was against attacking Iraq. Pre-emptive war is a dangerous precedent to set. If Iran were to attack the US because they see us as an "imminent threat" would they be justified?

[jochhejaam]

I definitely don't want my daughter to think that war is ever ok though...

If you're warred upon without provocation then engagement (war) can become necessary for survival. Does that fit into your philosophy?

(

[SA210]

but war is justified in many cases... even if you don't agree with our reasons for going to war in iraq you have to agree that war was justified in ww II.. yes or no?

I do see your point, but respectfully, if my daughter is going to grow up a Christian, then there is only one view on war. Not to start with the "Bible" and all, but It is very clear on this.

But I do understand what you mean.

[SA210]

If you're warred upon without provocation then engagement (war) can become necessary for survival. Does that fit into your philosophy?

(

I'm learning alot of things right now, but one of the first things I learned was about how killing is wrong and war is wrong, no matter who strikes first.

Is there a double standard of being a Christian?
Like, I'm a Christian, "You must not kill", but this is different?

Really?

[JoeChalupa]

You mean like saying, "We are a peaceful Nation..." and the same time we are at war?

[ChumpDumper]

How come you can't use the john when there is a nuclear attack?

"First you say it, then you do it."

[JoeChalupa]

How come you can't use the john when there is a nuclear attack?

"First you say it, then you do it."

I guess hiding under your desk is more important?

[jochhejaam]

I guess hiding under your desk is more important?

hiding under the desk from nuclear fallout? hmmm...

[Clandestino]

yeah, no ... like hiding under the desk was going to save you.. , i'd piss in the room too.. who cares about walking all the way to the bathroom when you're about to be nuked...

[DarkReign]

It is Not, for a true Christian.

Then you will just be another sheep in the slaughter.

Unfortunately, virtuoso thinking isnt exactly equatable to real life. At some point in your life, you will be unintentionably put in a situation where there is not a choice of "fight or flight".

It happens. Thats human nature. Its violent. Its un-Christian. But its reality.

War is just the same. When Germany invaded Poland, the where trying to thwart the Blitzkrieg with cavalry. No offense, but that must have been one of the more horrible happenings in history. To be a country so ill-prepared for the worst case scenario.

Soldier: "Oh snap, here comes 10,000+ German tanks!"
General: "Send in the cavalry..."

War is , but sometimes very necessary. I dont agree with this Iraq fiasco, but WW1 and WW2 had to be done. Vietnam, Korea and Iraq...not so much.

Such is life. Thus the reason you cannot be a true Christian no matter how hard you try.