Taylor High School bathroom policy to prevent vaping has students concerned

TAYLOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - A new bathroom policy at Taylor High School is causing quite a stir as students say there are limits on when they can use the facilities, while the administration claims the policy is in place to keep them safe.

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FOX 2 spoke to some students who just want to go when they have to but the superintendent says there's good reason for the policy.

Students say the new policy stated you can't go to the bathroom 10 minutes before the end of class. It was implemented in 2024 and many do not like it. 

However, school superintendent Michael Wegher says the purpose behind the policy is to prevent vaping. 

Internal data showed 60% of vaping incidents were in the bathroom. Data also showed it happened in the minutes after class started and the minutes before class ended, so he says the policy is to keep them safe.

"There’s never a time during the day that students don’t have access to a restroom or staff, I’d should say," said Wegher. "Like everybody has access. It’s just that certain ones are closed at certain periods to help to be able to monitor them better, to make sure the activities taking place are safer."

"So that is true. The vaping has been an issue. However they have vape detectors in the bathrooms to know who goes, they have cameras to know who goes in. And the vape detectors are set off," said student Savanna Bach. "I’m a firm believer that if, if, just because a small group of people are doing bad, it doesn’t mean the whole group is. I’ve never vaped. I’ve never touched anything like that. So why am I getting my rights taken away."

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Bach says they should be free to go anytime they need it. She says that her and others have gotten sick due to the new policy.

"It’s caused students to get UTIs. Personally I’ve had to go home due to bladder issues," she said. "Me and some other female students have bled through our clothes. So it causes a lot of issues."

"We’re doing our best to provide that balance," said Wegher. "And the honest truth is, we want to be able to be able to provide them complete access at all times, but to be able to do so then we need more support. We need more budget from the state for those security items that can help us combat these issues with vaping and issues with vandalism and other items that take place in the restroom. But what would recommend specifically for those students who are in that kind of situation, it’s to know that there are places they can still go. There are still places in that emergency, in that kind of situation."

Meanwhile, Bach says what could help is hiring more staff to monitor and help out.