BC School Reopens Single-Sex Washrooms After Pushback From Parents

File photo of a genderless washroom in a library at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Nanette Holt/The Epoch Times

A British Columbia high school has reopened single-sex washrooms after originally leaving only gender-neutral options available to students, following an outcry from concerned parents.

The administration at Pleasant Valley Secondary School in Armstrong, B.C., has now designated two of its three newly opened gender-neutral washrooms as single-sex, in response to parents’ concerns about student privacy and safety.

As previously reported by The Epoch Times, the school on Jan. 9 had locked its old single-sex washrooms and directed students to use newly opened gender-neutral facilities, while parents complained that they weren’t consulted about the decision.

The school had previously said the move was because of increased instances of vandalism in the single-sex washrooms, and that the gender-neutral washrooms allowed for greater supervision since their general areas are not behind closed doors.

“The primary objective to this change was increased supervision of our washrooms and not the gender neutrality associated with the new layout,” school principal Steve Drapala told parents in a Jan. 16 email obtained by The Epoch Times. “As a school, we strive to address potential safety concerns as well as provide spaces where students are comfortable.”

Parents who spoke to The Epoch Times said they were concerned about the safety of their children.

Last week, a 16-year-old student was accosted by boys while in a stall of one of the school’s gender-neutral washrooms, the student’s mother, Jolene Branconnier, told The Epoch Times on Jan. 13. The boys were “banging on [her] door so bad she could see light through the door,” Branconnier said, adding her daughter had to text her friends to come and get her out of the stall.

Closures

The school had closed its old single-sex washrooms, citing rising vandalism and vaping. The school opened three new washrooms, two of them located in the school’s recently built gym.

In a Jan. 14 email response to one of the concerned parents, the school principal said the “decision to close the gendered washrooms” at the school was based on “the new washrooms having better sightlines [that] enable better supervision” by staff.

In photos, two of the new washrooms appear to have fully enclosed stalls, with doors that reach down to the floor, while the washrooms themselves have no doors, allowing passersby to see the entire rectangular washroom space from the hallway outside. Sinks and the countertop appear along one side and the stalls along the other side and at the back.

Kristy Stewart was another mother uneasy about her daughter having only gender-neutral washroom options, citing concerns about students sharing facilities with the opposite sex and the age differences between them. Students range in age from about 13 to 18, she said.

Before the administration reopened the single-sex washrooms, Stewart had been picking up her 15-year-old daughter from school whenever she needed to use the washroom and taking her to a nearby store. She said her daughter did not feel comfortable using the new washrooms.

With the latest changes, the two gender-neutral washrooms located in the school’s gym have been designated as “boys” and “girls,” the principal said. The third washroom, by the school office, will remain gender-neutral.

Students who do not feel comfortable using any of the washrooms can use a private washroom in the medical room through the school’s office, the principal added.

Parents Relieved

Stewart, who had a meeting with the school’s administration on Jan. 16, said she welcomes the change. Although her daughter’s privacy was a concern for her, given that the new washrooms are not fully enclosed, she said she is reassured that different genders won’t be sharing the space, and that her daughter can use the medical room’s washroom if she needs more privacy.

At the meeting, she learned that the school has faced serious vandalism issues and said she understands why the administration saw the need to increase washroom supervision. “There was multiple incidents of oranges and apples being flushed in the toilets causing plumbing issues and flooding bathrooms, as well as kids congregating during class times and vaping issues,” she said, describing what she heard from the principal.

Branconnier also sees the new change as a positive step, but said she’s worried that the gym’s washrooms are farther away and not as accessible as the previous single-sex washrooms.

The school did not respond to The Epoch Times’ requests for comment, including questions on what it intends to do with the previous single-sex washrooms, and whether it plans to address other parental concerns.