Home Care In Conroe, TX

CONROE, Texas – Conroe ISD parents are expressing outrage after a message was sent home stating their children had lost the privilege to use the restroom because of a lost restroom pass. The incident occurred at Bartlett Elementary School in Conroe, and has sparked concerns over the well-being and treatment of students.

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The controversy began when a first-grade teacher, Ashley Barerra, allegedly took away the restroom pass from her class around 3 p.m. on a school day, leaving the students unable to use the bathroom for hours. According to Amber Johnson, a concerned parent, her daughter was in the classroom at the time and witnessed some classmates struggling to hold it in, with some eventually soiling themselves.

Amber Johnson’s daughter, who was present during the incident, described the scene, saying that a few of her classmates “really, really” needed to go to the restroom, but were unable to because the pass was taken away. “They asked to go to the bathroom probably like ten times,” the child explained.

The issue arose after lunch when the restroom pass went missing. Johnson’s daughter said that as a result, the teacher punished the entire class by taking away their ability to use the restroom. For some students, this led to accidents as they were forced to wait for hours, unable to use the restroom.

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The situation took an emotional toll on the children involved, as Johnson revealed that some students were left in tears, desperate to relieve themselves. “Some people were crying to death to go to the bathroom,” her daughter said.

Parents, including Amber Johnson, were further alarmed when they received a message from teacher Ashley Barerra around 3 p.m., informing them that the class had lost its restroom privileges as a lesson about responsibility. This left students without access to a bathroom from around noon, until dismissal at the end of the school day—about three to four hours. Some students had to wait additional time in their “car-rider lines” and on bus routes.

In the wake of the incident, Johnson learned from other parents that six students had soiled themselves during the ordeal. “So initially, we were told two, after we as parents got into a group and started talking more, it has come down to be there’s about six who actually soiled themselves and had accidents,” she shared.

Ashley Chancey’s son is also in the class. He says his desk-mate was reportedly one of the children who could not hold it in. She says he came home frantic and disheveled.

“He kept trying to tell me that something pretty bad happened at school today. I kept telling him ‘please calm down and just talk to me.’” He then described the heartbreaking moment when the young girl had an accident in front of the class, leaving her embarrassed and humiliated. “She said the class erupted in laughter as kids that are seven (years old) do. And the little girl was just absolutely mortified,” Chancey said. “He said there was urine all over the little girl. There was a puddle of urine under the chair that nobody came to help with, and nobody came to clean her up for the remainder of the day.”

Parents are not just upset about the humiliation their children experienced but also concerned about the potential health risks posed by holding in bodily functions for too long. Johnson, in particular, voiced her frustration over the inhumane treatment of the students, highlighting the possible health consequences such as urinary tract infections (UTIs) and bladder infections that can result from withholding bathroom access.

“It’s inhumane to not allow somebody to relieve themselves of a bodily function that everybody has,” Johnson said, adding that the situation was a violation of basic human dignity.

In response to the incident, Conroe ISD sent KPRC this statement issued by the Bartlett Elementary School principal:

Good evening, Bartlett Families,

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 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. This incident is not indicative of the safe and loving environment we foster at Bartlett Elementary. I thank you for your support and continued partnership. Charita Smith Bartlett Elementary Principal

Parents remain outraged and demand accountability. “We’re all outraged. We want something done,” Johnson stated.

As the investigation continues, many parents are hoping that the school district takes swift and appropriate action to address the concerns raised and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

Conroe ISD has assured parents that they are looking into the matter thoroughly. The district’s statement does not provide a timeline for when the investigation will be completed or what consequences, if any, may follow for the teacher involved. Meanwhile, parents are anxiously awaiting a resolution, hoping that this kind of incident does not happen again in the future.

Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.

Parents are upset after a Conroe ISD teacher refused to let their first-grade students use the bathroom because they lost their "restroom badges."

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CONROE, Texas — Parents at a Conroe Independent School District elementary school said they're appalled after learning multiple students peed on themselves when a teacher revoked their restroom privileges.

The district said it's investigating the incident that allegedly occurred during the school day on Wednesday at Bartlett Elementary. That's when parents told KHOU 11 they received a message from the first-grade teacher.

The message said to be from the teacher was shared with KHOU 11 News. In it, the teacher said the students lost their privilege to use the restroom during class because they lost their “restroom badge” while they were in the hallway. The message went on to say that some students ended up peeing on themselves in class. The teacher apologized to parents in the message.

"It's just appalling, it's very appalling, it's sad," parent Amber Johnson said. "The amount of infections and health things that can come from a child holding their urine that long is unacceptable."

Johnson said her daughter told her the incident caused emotional distress for the students involved.

"She was telling me that her friends were crying and pleading to go to the restroom," Johnson said.

A mother of one of the students who urinated themselves also spoke with KHOU 11 but did not want to be identified.

"She was pretty upset, she had to walk around in soaking clothes and soaking shoes," the mother said. "It's very frustrating, it's very frustrating."

The mother said her frustration grew after she had a conversation with the school principal who said there was also a teacher's aid in the classroom as well.

"They're an adult, you know, common sense would be, 'OK, well, she's not letting them go to the bathroom, there's multiple students saying that they need to go to the restroom, that's a human right, period,'" the mother told KHOU 11. "It doesn't matter if someone was playing in the restroom, lost a pass or whatever."

KHOU 11 reached out to Conroe ISD for comment. A representative sent the letter that was distributed to parents.

"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 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. This incident is not indicative of the safe and loving environment we foster at Bartlett Elementary. I thank you for your support and continued partnership."

In an email to KHOU 11, the district said the teacher in question will not be on campus for the rest of the week as the investigation continues.

In November, Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the settlement, allowing cities and counties to join and receive funds for remediation in communities across the state.

“We would relinquish the right to sue separately on the same issue,” Conroe Interim City Attorney Mike Garner said during council’s workshop Dec. 11.

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Garner said the settlement will be paid out over 11 years. He did not have a specific amount the city would receive.

“There are certain guidelines on what we can use the money for,” Garner said. “But essentially, we can it toward prevention and treatment programs.”

Kroger reached the settlement with states, cities, counties and Native American tribes in September 2023. In a statement, Kroger officials called the settlement an “important milestone in the Company's efforts to resolve the pending opioid litigation and support abatement efforts.”

The company maintains the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing or liability by Kroger.

According to Paxton’s office, the settlement is the latest in a series of agreements Paxton negotiated with the pharmaceutical industry for worsening the national trend of overdoses and deaths from prescription opioids.

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To date, Paxton has obtained more than $3 billion in legal settlements with drug manufacturers and other entities for their roles in the national opioid epidemic. Funds from statewide opioid settlements are dedicated to opioid abatement and overseen by the Texas Opioid Council.

Texas, along with a broad coalition of states and subdivisions, has now reached final agreements with 13 companies to resolve legal claims for their role in the opioid crisis, the newest agreement is with Kroger.

Four agreements are with opioid manufacturers Johnson & Johnson, Endo, Teva, and Allergan. There is a separate agreement with three major pharmaceutical distributors, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson, and a settlement was reached through bankruptcy with Mallinckrodt, a manufacturer and distributor. Finally, there are three separate settlements with CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart pharmacies.

“We’ve worked relentlessly to hold major pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies accountable for their role in the national opioid epidemic that has created so much suffering in our State,” Paxton stated in a Nov. 14 release. “This settlement is an important step in our ongoing efforts to securing justice for Texas.”

Dec 17, 2024

Reporter

Catherine Dominguez is a Houston Chronicle reporter who covers Montgomery County, including the city of Conroe and Conroe ISD.