Saturday, March 09, 2019

This Couldn't Really Have Happened This Way, Could It?

This story sounds so over-the-top that I want to believe it's made up:
Sonia Mongol says her son was not allowed to go to the restroom at his South Los Angeles school and instead had to wear two plastic garbage bags and sit in his urine-soaked clothing, according to CNN affiliate KCAL.

Mongol talked about the alleged incident in November during a news conference at Manhattan Place Elementary School Thursday. She said her 8-year-old son was not allowed to use the restroom during class. Mongol called on school officials to clarify what happened...

Mongol said after her son asked to go to the bathroom, the teacher told him that he could instead urinate in a trash can at the front of the classroom, "exposing himself in front of all the other students."

He got urine on himself and was given trash bags to cover his wet clothes, Mongol said. She also claims she was not told that he would have to spend the rest of the day wearing them.

Retired teacher Latricia Mitchell joined Mongol at the news conference and she told reporters that teachers can refuse to let students leave to go to the restroom under certain circumstances. But there is common sense and good judgment.

"After they ask you twice, you should realize something is going on," Mitchell said.

Mongol said teachers have denied her son permission to use the restroom since the incident, KCAL reported, and that since the principal did not adequately respond to the claims, she will be taking the issue to the school board.
If this happened as described, and if the teacher in question is a union member, I wonder how vigorously that union will respond, protect the teacher, and justify the teacher's actions.

2 comments:

Education Realist said...

Usually you let 8 year olds go the bathroom. It's high schoolers that abuse the privilege. But not in a million years can I see a teacher telling a kid to pee in a trashcan.

Jean said...

A young relative of mine was in a classroom (can't remember if it was 2nd or 3rd, but I think 3rd) where the teacher did things that would merit a CPS call in a parent. The last straw for the child's parents was when the teacher wouldn't allow a child to go to the bathroom despite desperate pleas. The child soiled their pants and was forced to stay seated until whatever the next break was. Parents complained, but the teacher was on her last year before retirement and the school did nothing. My relative was homeschooled from then on. This was at a highly regarded Sacramento elementary school within the last decade. (Sorry, I'm trying to avoid specifics.)