Boys bathrooms at North Middle School on lockdown following graffiti



MENOMONEE FALLS (WITI) -- Officials at North Middle School in Menomonee Falls have implemented a new policy regarding student use of the boys bathroom following a string of graffiti incidents.

Crimestoppers is offering a reward for information into these incidents, but until they find out who is responsible, officials say they are teaching students that making threats and damaging property will be taken seriously.

There is now a parent volunteer and a sign-in sheet outside the boys bathroom at North Middle School.

Karen Habeggar is a North Middle School parent who has volunteered to monitor the bathroom.

"I have six hours booked this week. Definitely happy to see something being done," Habeggar said.

School officials sent a letter home to parents explaining the problem. The letter says the boys bathrooms will be on lockdown until further notice. The letter reads: "We apologize for the inconvenience this will cause your child, but this graffiti must stop."

Since last week, most of the boys bathrooms are locked during school hours. The only exceptions are one bathroom monitored by a parent and a bathroom in the school health office, which is easily monitored by staff.

Associate Principal Scott Marty says he hopes students learn something from this.

"I really hope the kids take away that this is a serious issue. We`re living in a different day and age they can`t go out in public they can`t go out in an airport and make comments like these because there`s going to be some very serious repercussions," Marty said.

Some parents have criticized the school's actions as excessive, but school officials say they've gotten mostly positive feedback.

School officials had tried other methods before putting the bathrooms on lockdown. They tried making announcements during the lunch hour, having police give presentations and having teachers patrol the bathrooms more often -- but those methods did not work.

School officials say they hope the bathroom lockdown is temporary.