UPDATE: Oak Park and River Forest High School has just removed the exterior doors from most bathrooms to tackle rampant student vaping and class ditching. This controversial decision has sparked an immediate backlash among students, who returned to campus this month to find the changes in place.
The move was revealed during a senior class assembly in early September, prompting a wave of boos from students. Senior Ryan Burns expressed disbelief, stating, “Our jaws dropped… People were booing. They were upset, frustrated.” With privacy concerns at the forefront, Burns added, “I think it’s a little too much. Personally, I think there should be privacy.”
Senior Kingston Petersen echoed these sentiments, saying, “It’s like an invasion of privacy… taking the doors off is kind of like violating a personal bubble.” The negative reaction has prompted junior Laila Rosenthal to launch an online petition on Change.org titled “We Need Doors,” which has already gathered 385 signatures. Rosenthal argues that the removal of doors disregards students’ “basic needs” and “contributes to an atmosphere of anxiety and distress.”
According to Kristen Devitt, the school’s director of Campus Safety, the decision stems from an architectural principle known as crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED). “It’s all about being able to identify ways in which we can make the environment less hospitable to rule breaking or law breaking,” Devitt explained. She noted that last year, the bathrooms had become hotspots for vaping, class skipping, and other rule violations.
Devitt emphasized the need for increased safety measures, stating, “When we remove those exterior doors, we’re taking away the perception that the bathroom is an acceptable place to engage in those types of behaviors.” In addition, she confirmed that campus safety officers would be conducting more frequent bathroom checks this year.
While some students are frustrated, others have a more neutral stance. Junior Tony Pinzari remarked, “It doesn’t really affect me too much because there are still doors on the stalls… I don’t see what the huge problem with it is.” However, junior Mia Kamps raised concerns about the effectiveness of the move, stating, “I do think it reduces the amount of vaping and skipping classes in the bathrooms, but I have noticed that it has moved to like the gym locker rooms.”
This urgent situation highlights a growing trend among schools nationwide to implement drastic measures in response to student behavior. As the debate continues, the impact on student privacy and safety remains a pressing concern.
The school community is now left to grapple with the implications of this bold decision, as students seek ways to voice their concerns and reclaim their sense of privacy in what should be a safe space. The situation is developing, and more updates are expected as the new school year unfolds.
