Opinion & Comments: Churchville-Chili Parents Deserve Transparency on Bathroom Access
Over the past several months, parents in the Churchville-Chili community have raised growing concerns regarding student bathroom access after the district acknowledged that student restrooms were temporarily closed due to vandalism and graffiti.
While schools absolutely have a responsibility to address vandalism and inappropriate behavior, restricting restroom access impacts every student — including those doing nothing wrong. Graffiti is a behavioral issue. Access to a restroom is a basic health necessity.
In seeking answers, I filed a formal Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request asking for records related to bathroom closures, restrictions, directives, and policies affecting student restroom access. The district denied the request, claiming the records were exempt intra-agency materials.
However, after reviewing the matter, the New York State Committee on Open Government stated that if such records exist, portions may qualify as “instructions to staff that affect the public” or “final agency policy or determinations,” which can be subject to disclosure under New York FOIL law.
Despite that guidance, the district still has not clearly answered whether records regarding bathroom restrictions and closures are being withheld or whether they claim no such records exist.
This issue goes beyond one parent or one student. It raises larger questions about transparency, communication with families, and how schools balance discipline issues with students’ basic needs during the school day.
Parents deserve clear answers, and students deserve reasonable access to restroom facilities without confusion, embarrassment, or unnecessary barriers.
Jennifer Hovey
Churchville
