  Forced Retention of Bodily Waste: The Most Overlooked Form of Child Maltreatment
Letters from Parents About Denial of Toilet Usage in their Child’s School
The Medical Risks Of Forced Retention of Urine
The Medical Risks Of Forced Retention of Bowel Waste
Personal Stories from Children and Adults who Suffered Forced Retention of Bodily Waste
Personal Experiences of the Editor: Why I Take this Seriously
Media Stories Involving Children Being Denied Use of Toilet
What to Do if Your Child’s Teacher Restricts or Denies Toilet Use
University of Iowa Study: Elementary Schools Need A Lesson In Bathroom Breaks, by C. Cooper, M.D
Parents Attack bathroom Policy: The New Jersey Times Feb, 16, 2004
Letter to the New York Times Re: "Teacher in Urination Flap", by Laurie A. Couture, February 11, 2000
Letter from a Registered Nurse Re: Toilets Locked in PA
Letters from Helpful Organizations
Letter from a retired school teacher who respected children's rights
Teacher Arguments About Toilet Use Restrictions
& Research-Based Answers
IMAGE: First graders, Wesley School, Houston, Texas: "One of the school's special aspects is its regimented bathroom break every morning," Contra Costa Times, February 11, 2001.
Letter from a Registered Nurse Re: Toilets Locked in PA
June 15, 2004 (Pennsylvania, USA) This letter was forwarded to ChildAdvocate.org from a Registered Nurse. It was originally sent to The Education Law Center in Philadelphia, PA:
"I am an RN from Miami Beach, but Hand Middle School (Lancaster PA) was my alma mater. I visited the school in '95 and 2000 respectively. I WAS VERY ANGRY to read about the lockdown of the bathrooms without first entertaining 2 federal laws that would keep the bathroom doors unlocked:
1. The AMERICAN DISABILITY ACT (ADA) states THAT CHILDREN should have "reasonable bathroom accommodations."; I am assuming unlimited access to unlocked bathrooms.
2. The HIPAA Law (Privacy Act of 2003) makes it impossible to divulge the names of the sick students with diabetes, cerebral palsy, HIV/AIDS etc. without the parent(s) consent.(this is a felony if this privacy act is breached); keeping this in mind: The principal and teachers won't know who is really sick, but
would need to make bathroom breaks available to all students! I have SUGGESTED THAT THE BATHROOM REMAINS OPEN AT ALL TIMES FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS AND to reduce any lawsuits related to delayed and reduced access
to bathrooms. It would make headline news if a child with HIV/AIDS were denied access to a bathroom. An escort can't be in every room, every minute atending the needs of all children (678).
Keeping the bathroom doors unlocked would reduce such health risks as urinary tract infections, constipation, cystitis, etc. through proper and TIMELY elimination. In closing, no child should be denied access to a bathroom. How do we get these bathroom doors reopened? Don't say: "create outhouses." THANKS."
-Daisy Lee Myers, RN
The reply from Education Law Center:
"Ms. Myers, Not so sure about HIPAA -- I just am not an expert on that -- but regarding the rights of kids with disabilities under ADA and Sec. 504, I think a complaint could be sent to the Office for Civil Rights, US Dept. of Education, The Wanamaker Building, Suite 515, 100 Penn Square East, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, tel. (215) 686-8541. Also -- and this is more cumbersome -- any individual student could use Pennsylvania's "Chapter 15" procedures, which are discussed on our web site at
http://www.elc-pa.org/brochures/Chapter%2015.8-02.htm.
Of course, you're absolutely right -- this is a ridiculous situation that shouldn't be allowed to exist for anybody."
-Education Law Center
1315 Walnut St., Rm. 400
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 238-6970, ext. 307
(215) 772-3125 (fax)
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