The boys’ main lobby bathroom was closed on Friday, May 30, following an incident of vandalism that occurred on May 29. In an email sent by House 2 Assistant Principal Ryan O’Connor, the incident was described as “disrespectful and immature.”
The decision to shut down the bathroom was made after staff, including custodian Sam Bailey, discovered the mess that left the bathroom in an “unacceptable” condition.
“We saw paper towels everywhere,” Bailey said. “Toilet paper everywhere. [The bathroom] was covered in water. It was just kids destroying everything.”
Bailey also added that damage to the bathroom only wasted time and took away from his other responsibilities.
“I have to spend hours trying to clean up [the mess],” Bailey said. “[The vandalism incident] just takes time away from other things I need to be doing, like cleaning the cafeteria and making sure the school is safe and secure for [the students].”
After witnessing the behavior of the students involved, O’Connor wanted to make it clear that their actions affect more than themselves.
“We are a community here,” O’Connor said. “This is school property. It’s our school for the students, the teachers, the administration, and the town. The town funds the school, so any destruction or vandalism of anything only hurts all of us.”
O’Connor pointed out that the main issues with vandalism incidents are that they show a lack of respect for the custodians who work hard behind the scenes to maintain the school.
“[The custodians] don’t need to clean up this mess,” O’Connor said. “That’s disrespectful to them because I’ve seen it so many times at the drop of a hat [the custodians] will have to come and help.”
The incident has also sparked a broader issue about student accountability and the role everyone plays in maintaining a positive school environment.
“We need to do what we can to educate people that [damaging school property] is not the right way to do things,” O’Connor said, “and that’s not just administration or teachers who should be doing [the educating]. It’s important for [students] to be accountable for themselves and their classmates.”
In addition to taking responsibility for the safety of the school, O’Connor said that being silent during wrongdoings only contributes to the problem.
“You’ve got to do something about it when something bad happens,” O’Connor said. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to take action right then and there, but be part of the solution.”
Bailey said he wants to remind students that acts of vandalism serve no real purpose other than creating more work for others.
“Don’t do this,” Bailey said. “What are you proving? You guys have better things to do. Honestly, some of you guys are making it harder for us. Just respect your school.”
