A Texas elementary school teacher was fired after denying restroom access to students as a form of punishment, according to the school district.
Students in one first grade class at Bartlett Elementary School were allegedly told on Wednesday, Dec. 4, that they could no longer use the bathroom after they lost a “restroom badge” in the hallway, according to reports from NBC affiliate KPRC 2 and CBS affiliate KHOU.
In a message to parents at the end of the school day, their teacher allegedly said that she told the students around noon that they could no longer use the bathroom, according to KHOU.
Mom Ashley Chancey tells PEOPLE that parents say at least six students had accidents that afternoon. “My son was asked to work in an unhygienic and unhealthy environment surrounded by urine in his workspace and with emotional students in soiled clothing,” she says.
Fellow classroom mom Amber Johnson also told KPRC in an interview that according to her daughter, “some people were crying to death to go to the bathroom.”
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On Wednesday, the Conroe Independent School District sent out a message to parents stating that the punishment was “not indicative of the safe and loving environment we foster at Bartlett Elementary.”
“This afternoon, we were made aware of a situation in a first-grade classroom in which restroom privileges were revoked. I have spoken with the parents of both students who, upsettingly, had accidents,” the administration said in the letter, which was obtained by KPRC. “The class will have a current staff member to serve as the substitute teacher for the remainder of the week while we complete our investigation into the matter.”
In a statement, the Conroe Independent School District said that the teacher “is no longer employed” with the district.
“Bartlett Elementary and District administrators were made aware of a situation after school dismissed on Wednesday in which a first grade teacher at the school denied students access to the restroom as a punishment,” read the statement, shared with PEOPLE on Friday, Dec. 6.
“This incident is not a reflection of the thousands of exceptional educators teaching in classrooms across the District,” the statement continued. “We are committed to supporting the students and families impacted by this upsetting event and are dedicated to fostering a culture of mutual respect and care among all students, families, and staff.”
However, some parents like Chancey are still concerned and are urging the school district to take action so that something similar never happens again.
“I think it would be incredibly important to have a policy in place regarding basic human rights: like restroom usage,” she says. “These are children, and to humiliate or dehumanize, or degrade their needs in any way is absolutely unacceptable. Their love of education is deep rooted in their experiences especially at such a young age, situations like this can cause life-long repercussions.”
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