A fed-up Illinois mom is sounding off after her teenage daughter was reportedly denied the right to use the bathroom during class, and it didn’t stop there.
In a Reddit post, the mom shared a frustrating and painfully relatable story involving her 16-year-old daughter, whom she refers to as Ana. The ordeal started when Ana urgently needed to use the bathroom during her 8th-hour class. Knowing she didn’t have time to go between classes, the school has only a five-minute passing period, and her next class was far across the building, she went straight to class and asked her teacher, Ms. Bart, for a pass.
Unfortunately, the school has a strict “no passes during the first 10 minutes of class” policy. So Ana waited.
But when those 10 minutes were up and she asked again, she was hit with another roadblock. Ms. Bart told her she was on the dreaded “No Pass” list — apparently because she’d gone over the time limit on previous bathroom breaks. Ana, clearly desperate, asked if security could escort her to the restroom, which is supposed to be the standard procedure in that situation.
Ms. Bart allegedly refused. So Ana sat there for the entire class period, doing what her mom described as the “pee-dance,” begging over and over for help and being denied each time. At one point, she texted her mom in distress with 20 minutes still left in class.
The mom immediately called the school but got no answer, so she left a voicemail. Ana somehow made it through the rest of class, a 30-minute bus ride, and a 10-minute walk home. She had to call her brother ahead of time to unlock the front door and make sure the bathroom was free.
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And yes, the poor girl was in pain afterward. She stayed home from school the next day and ended up at the doctor. “She was crying all night from the pain,” the mother stated. Luckily, there was no permanent damage, but her mom said the pain came from holding it in so long. She also missed four hours of work and had to pay for the appointment.
When the school finally responded, the principal said he would email the teacher. According to the mom, Ms. Bart doubled down, saying Ana was on the list, had been shown the screen, and wasn’t doing her work. Her exact words? Ana was “dancing around instead of working.”
“I mean… yeah, she was trying not to pee herself,” the mom wrote. The assistant principal responded with a seemingly obvious suggestion: “Moving forward, please call for an escort in these situations.” Which, again, is exactly what Ana had asked for.
Sadly, that wasn’t the end of the story. A month later, Ms. Bart allegedly escalated things. When Ana texted her mom during class, the teacher confiscated her phone and declared she’d now have to turn it in at the start of every class. That’s fair enough. But here’s where things get shady.
Another student (let’s call him Joey) was reportedly on his phone the entire class. Ms. Bart’s response? A casual, “Joey, come on.” No phone taken. No policy change.
When Ana questioned the double standard, the teacher told her Joey “is never here.” Ana responded, “So if I stop coming, will I get a break too?” And Ms. Bart’s alleged reply? “I’ll throw a party if you don’t come to class.” To that, the Illinois mother says, “That felt like a direct shot at her and completely inappropriate.”
The mom, who says Ana is a good student, chatty but not a troublemaker, has had enough. She’s already contacted the district and requested a formal investigation. She’s also asked that no one speak to her daughter without her present, and even brought up concerns about retaliation and requested reimbursement for her time and expenses.
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While she admits she used to brush off the teacher’s “snarky comments” as harmless, this crossed a serious line. “This is beyond just snarky comments,” she wrote. “Even then, we were hoping this was handled and done, last month. Unfortunately, Ms. Bart doesn’t feel like leaving things in the past.”
The mom’s now asking Reddit for legal advice, wondering if there’s a lawyer who handles this kind of situation and if it’s even worth pursuing.
It’s easy to see why this story is striking a nerve. Strict school policies like the “Fast Pass” system may have good intentions — keeping kids from abusing bathroom breaks — but when they ignore basic human needs, things can get ugly. Denying a student bathroom access is one thing. Refusing an escort, mocking her pain, and doling out uneven punishments? That’s something else entirely.
With the school year winding down, Ana can’t switch classes, but the Illinois mom is determined not to let it go. And honestly? Good for her. Every student deserves dignity and a bathroom break.
Joshua Dale 
Nina Franklin 
Casey James 
