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Paramount High sophomore brings 500‑signature petition urging restroom repairs and privacy fixes
Summary
At the April 9 board meeting, Paramount High student Steve Lopez told trustees that campus restroom locks and gaps between stalls compromise student safety and privacy; he presented a petition with more than 500 signatures and proposed taller stalls, sealed gaps and keyed locks for security staff.
Steve Lopez, a sophomore at Paramount High School, told the Paramount Unified board on April 9 that many students do not feel safe using school restrooms because of malfunctioning locks and wide gaps between stalls.
"My name is Steve Lopez, and I am a sophomore at Paramount High School," he said during the public‑comment portion of the meeting. Lopez said students have posted videos on social media showing other students being recorded in restrooms and that some stalls have self‑locking mechanisms or broken locks that trap occupants. He also said cracks between stalls allow for privacy violations and that, in one building, only two of many stalls function properly.
Lopez presented a petition he said had more than 500 signatures and urged the board to upgrade stall construction—including taller partitions, sealed tops and filled gaps—and to install keyed locks that school security could open in emergencies.
"I am here to represent the students of PHS," Lopez told the board, and he offered to answer follow‑up questions if staff needed more information. He delivered his petition to Board President Anderson at the podium.
The board did not take action during the public comment period. District staff told speakers during the public‑comment instructions that staff will follow up on inquiries if contact information is provided and that group concerns should designate a spokesperson for the hearing section. The board's public procedures note that staff, not the board, will respond to operational requests after the meeting.
Next steps: Lopez requested follow‑up; the district's public comment procedures state staff will follow up when contact information is provided. The transcript does not record any immediate operational response or a formal motion by the board on this item.
