MAGNOLIA, Ohio (AP) — A sixth-grader who was denied permission to use the restroom while taking a state achievement test this week had an accident in class, and a school administrator blamed an overzealous teacher.
The shame brought to the student, who had to urinate, was an unfortunate outcome of efforts to prevent cheating, said Sandy Valley Local Schools Superintendent David Janofa.
“There are no words we could say. We feel horrible about this happening,” he said.
Bathroom breaks are permitted during the tests, which help determine school rankings and the state’s annual report cards, said J.C. Benton, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Education.
The state recommends having an adult supervisor — but not the teacher administering the test — escort students to and from the bathroom to make sure they aren’t looking at books or notes.
“We want to maintain the integrity and security of all tests, but not at the expense of a student having an accident in a classroom,” Benton said. “Educators need to use common sense.”
School officials in California recently cleared a science teacher who was accused of forcing a 14-year-old boy to urinate into a bottle during class, saying the eighth-grader acted on his own.
The district cited rules that instruct teachers not to let students out of class during the first and last 10 minutes of a period.
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