An email from the principal of Melbourne High School informed families that several of the school’s bathrooms would be closing due to student vaping, effective Feb. 17. While this disciplinary tactic is increasingly common across Florida high schools, it has sparked outrage among parents, particularly those whose children are uninvolved. The decision also raises a deeper question: Is closing bathrooms an ethically effective solution to a more systemic problem?
Vaping has become increasingly prevalent over the past decade, with some students beginning as early as middle school. From social media to movies, vaping is being advertised like candy. Despite attempts from law enforcement and preventative in-school programs, vapes have still proven to be the most widely used tobacco substance amongst middle and high school students. For many students, the bathroom—a space largely unmonitored by cameras—offers the easiest opportunity to vape during the school day.
Recently, Melbourne High School has been dealing with the consequences of this epidemic. Administrators are working to improve surveillance, even with limited resources. Closing targeted restrooms was seen as the most immediate solution by Principal Chad Kirk, who is worried about the “environmental concerns” that vaping has and will continue to have on his school. Kirk hopes that by limiting the number of bathrooms students can access for vaping, there will be a greater opportunity to catch misconduct and improve restroom conditions overall.
While Kirk’s plan aims to curb illegal substance use by closing bathrooms, many parents of Melbourne High School argue that this strategy also prohibits innocent students from accessing those essential facilities. “Don’t punish the children that need to use the restroom, go after the students that are bringing in the vapes,” parent Kimberly Sermon stated. Sermon raised a concern about students like her daughter who are unable to use the restroom during the short time allotted between classes. Having to go the extra distance could not only restrict students’ educational time but also potentially affect their health.
This predicament has brought up the concept of vape detectors as a middle-ground solution to both sides of the debate over restroom closures. While the concept sounds ideal, the execution of these devices has been proven relatively ineffective in catching or reducing the use of vapes in schools. The detectors cannot have cameras inside them, and several students go into the bathrooms at once, making it nearly impossible to identify the culprit within a group. The chemicals would also need to reach the ceiling without being directed elsewhere for the sensor to work. This very fear has led individuals to flush vapes, thus disrupting the school’s plumbing system.
The ethical debate reached a turning point on Feb. 24, during a Brevard School Board meeting. Board Chair Matt Susin voiced support for installing vape-detection technology, arguing that current “manpower and assets” should not be wasted guarding bathrooms when they are needed for campus security. While the board is also weighing a proposal to grant principals the authority to expel students for vaping violations, the community remains divided. Until these solutions are in place, the school must balance enforcing discipline with ensuring all students have fair and timely access to basic facilities.