School Gossip
“Did you hear what happened in 10A today?” one student whispered. “Yeah, I was across the hall. I heard her yelling.”
Nate quickly walked by the gossiping circle of students, eager to go home. The day had already been horrible, but now he would have to go home and tell his parents what the teacher had done.
Officially Qualified
Nate could barely remember what school life was like before he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Now, it was regular doctor’s visits, missing classes, and far too much pain. His situation was so bad that he was officially qualified as disabled. One thing they couldn’t mess with was his bathroom breaks.
Second Year
Even when his issues led to more health problems (fibromyalgia being one of them), he still managed to finish all his credits.
He remembered feeling pride as he went to the next year and finally felt like he had some semblance of control over his life. That is … until a new teacher appeared.
Old Teacher
The old teacher had been wonderful. He dutifully read up on all important emails and anything about the students in her class.
He never made a big deal of Nate having to take multiple breaks and regularly asked how he was getting on. This new woman … his class dubbed her the “monster.”
New Teacher
“Forget your textbooks,” she said, bringing up the Wikipedia page of the same topic.
Nate glanced at the other students as she told them to just read it (as she sat there, doing nothing). “Seriously?” he thought. But he felt the familiar twist in his stomach and put up his hand. “Bathroom?” She sighed. “No.”
Pink Permission Slip
He kept his hand up. “It’s necessary.” She let out a longer, more annoyed sigh and said, “Fine whatever.”
It got worse anytime he took out his medicine. The first time she nearly lost it, but the class had to explain his “pink” pass from the nurse gave him permission. From then on, Nate has labeled a disruption.
Everyone Wondering
Nate would try to wait until she finished speaking and excuse himself quietly.
However, she would always break out her “irritated look” and some vocal accompaniment. It got so bad even the students that gave him a hard time about his bathroom problems ended up on his side and angry with her behavior.
Late Again
One day, he ran down the hall to that class. A doctor’s appointment had made him late and he was already dreading what was about to come.
He slipped inside, muttered an apology, and took his seat. It was barely fifteen minutes into class and he had to excuse himself. She pointed at him and yelled, “No!”
A "Faker"
Nate had had enough. "I need to go to the restroom, I'm going." But the monster teacher wasn’t ready to give up the power play.
“You’re always wasting class time. You’re such a faker.” The class went dead silent. Nate felt the anger rise. He grabbed his bag and left. He knew exactly where to go.
Sign Here
The bathroom might have been the first stop, but the Dean’s office was next.
He signed himself in, feeling his hands shake. When he was finally allowed in, the day’s events (and future ones) fell like dominoes. First, he was asked to sign a form. Then, the teacher was called in. This would be the last time he would see her.
Bye Bye
While he waited in the hallway, he could see her reactions. First, it was furious, then it was shocked, and finally, it was sour.
She signed a paper and slammed the pen on the desk. She glared at him as she left. Two other students came in. Later, he found out they had volunteered as witnesses. The punishment?
Suspension
After the scene, no one had seen her for three weeks. But Nate found out that she had been suspended.
“To my knowledge, she opened them up to a potential lawsuit. Blatantly denying a disabled student their accommodations is against the law here, and the school didn't tolerate it one bit.” The Reddit community weighed in on the matter…
So Unprofessional
Plenty of teachers raised their voices in how unprofessional the woman acted.
“What a B!!! As a teacher I always let my students go to the restroom. They can go anytime. They don’t even have to ask. They take the pass and go.” Another commented on using a unique object as a solution…
Paper Weight
“My fourth-grade teacher had a paperweight she used as a bathroom pass."
"If you had to go, you put the paperweight on your desk and left. When you got back you put it back on the bookcase for the next person. Only one person could go at a time.” But that wasn’t the only support.
Last Word In
Anyone who read the post and suffered from similar ailments as Nate gave all their support and understanding of how hard it is to base your entire life and activities around the bathroom.
His last words on the matter? “I don't take any [expletive] when it comes to my body and my diseases.”