Patrol Lavatories? Teachers Say No

The president of the Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA) last night told the Board of Education that teachers would not serve as "policemen" in patrolling lavatories. David R. Harrell said he was responding to a challenge made last week by School Trustee Cecil W. Warner, who complained about assaults and other incidents in secondary school lavatories and said the AAEA "should be interested in the safety of the students." Harrell agreed the problem of school lavatories is "in need of attention," but said his association does not agree that teachers should be "used" for this task. Harrell also suggested that "the severity of the assault problem is somewhat exaggerated." The President said most teacher time is already committed. But more importantly, Harrell said teachers who are used as policemen "are seriously compromised in their roles. Teachers and students expects teachers to be responsive to problems in their classrooms and in their immediate proximity in the halls, but not to have pólice authority in lavatories." Harrell also said the problems in the lavatories stem from several sources, including the fact that the schools continue to try to enforce an "antiquated" state law against minors smoking, and because of "our continued acceptance of disturbed and disruptive children in school . . . It would seem logical that many of these assaults and extortions are performed by these same children," Harrell said. "If they cannot function within our regular school structure, then we must provide an atmosphere away from the regular school where they can learn to be functional citizens," he added.