Principal Jesse Casey has taken a decidedly hands-on approach to managing East. In his most recent step toward promoting school safety, Casey has relocated his office to the Lower Quad C men’s restroom.
“Well, I just thought, I can do all the same work here as I could at the main office,” Casey said. “And, this way I can directly monitor what’s going on in the bathroom and make sure that students are doing what they’re supposed to be doing.”
Some students were caught off guard by the sight of their principal sitting behind a desk in the middle of the bathroom.
“I was just trying to do my daily business, when all of a sudden there’s Mr. Casey, asking me if I have an e-hallpass,” senior Skip Classman said. “And, let’s be honest, I do not have one.”
Casey says he considers this new policy a major success in terms of cutting down on rule violations.
“Since I moved my desk into the bathroom, I’ve caught numerous students trying to enter without an e-hallpass. I’ve caught numerous students lingering in the bathroom for longer than five minutes. I’ve even caught students who were supposed to be using the Lower Quad B bathroom trying to come into the Lower Quad C bathroom.”
Some students have expressed concerns about privacy.
“I don’t want to get into all the graphic details,” sophomore Bessie Muddler said. “But let’s just say I was on the toilet for more than five minutes. That’s when he started saying I was in the ‘red zone’ and that I needed to finish up soon. Like, sorry, but that’s not gonna happen.”
Nevertheless, Casey is excited about the potential of bathroom desks.
“I even think it would be good to start holding classes in the bathrooms,” he said. “That way we could really keep an eye on all students at all times.”
Image by Hammond Cole Sherouse/The ECHO
