One parent said her daughter came home with welts on the back of her legs and her palms during one of the most intense heat waves on record.
Reclaim Our Schools, a coalition of organizations representing parents, students and community members, is demanding LAUSD act faster on climate friendly schools.“We never want to put our students in unsafe conditions,” district spokesperson Maria Garcia said in a written statement.“Our first concern is to ensure this child is OK,” Garcia said. “The principal has met with the student’s mother to learn more about what happened so we can determine next steps.
“What the teacher did was abuse, because not only did he make them sit there, but he mocks them,” Payne said.As California swelters, the governor signed a package of bills aimed at protecting the state from extreme heat. According to the school district, some restrooms were briefly locked during passing periods to discourage “unsafe behavior,” and each school has written classroom expectations that limit bathroom passes during class but are not meant to deny children the use of the bathroom.
Other parents have told Payne that the teachers are not lenient with students who ask to go to the bathroom. Some students on their menstrual cycles have bled through their clothes, and other students rush to the bathroom at the end of the school day, according to Payne.