A suburban high school said it removed the exterior doors from some of its bathrooms to prevent “inappropriate activities” like vaping, skipping class, and fighting.
A spokesperson from the Oak Park and River Forest High School said the move came after “frequent complaints” received last year from parents, faculty, staff and students about the activities.
The doors were removed as an “evidence-based practice in architecture called crime prevention through environmental design,” the spokesperson added.
They added that the exterior doors of only some bathrooms were removed, specifically those in which there was not a direct line of sight to where stalls or urinals were located.
None of the stall doors were removed.
The school said the bathroom entrances now resemble those seen in airports, many schools, and other public places where bathrooms don’t have exterior doors.
“This is only our third week of school, but our Campus Safety staff report fewer crowds of students are congregating in the bathrooms now,” said the spokesperson in an email.
In a petition posted on Change.org titled “WE NEED DOORS” by a student, opponents of the change argued it “disregards basic needs and inadvertently contributes to an atmosphere of anxiety and distress among students.”
As of Wednesday, the petition earned more than 400 signatures.
