A tampon dispenser inside the boys bathroom at a Connecticut high school was torn down ’20 minutes’ after installation.
School officials placed the dispenser in the bathroom on January 24th due to an upcoming state law that requires certain public schools to have menstrual products in restrooms of both genders.
Brookfield High School Principal Marc Balanda called it an “egregious instance of vandalism and destruction of property.”
New state-mandated tampon dispenser in CT high school boys bathroom ripped down in 20 minutes https://t.co/D7IgpdefAa pic.twitter.com/91jPUXCwQ7
— New York Post (@nypost) February 1, 2024
“A dispenser with menstrual products was installed in the boys bathroom near the (main office),” Balanda said in an email obtained by CT Insider.
“The installation was completed at 9:30 (a.m.). By 9:52 (a.m.), tampons were on the floor, the newly installed distribution box was ripped off the wall along with the masonry anchors, and the distribution box itself was destroyed,” the email continued.
CT Insider reports:
The law, which goes into effect Sept. 1, requires public schools serving students in grades 3 through 12 to “install coin-free dispensers or otherwise provide free access to a selection of menstrual products in all women’s restrooms, any all-gender restrooms (and) one men’s restroom per school.”
In the email, Balanda said that while the law refers to a men’s bathroom, the student’s acts of vandalism and destruction of property “were the work of immature boys, not men.”
The school will reinstall the dispenser box in a boys bathroom, Balanda said in the email.
Students should not resort to vandalism when they don’t understand something, he said. Instead, Balanda said, “ask for more information. Use your words to start a dialogue rather than using your hands to destroy something. In this particular instance, if you have questions, please let me know.”
“The tampon dispenser in a boy’s bathroom in a Connecticut school was ripped down 20 minutes after being installed. The principal sent out an email describing the event as ‘the most egregious instance of vandalism’ and promised ‘consequences’ for the ‘list of suspects.’ Democrats in Connecticut passed a law requiring all schools to have menstrual products in at least 1 boy’s bathroom,” Libs of TikTok wrote.
The tampon dispenser in a boy’s bathroom in a Connecticut school was ripped down 20 minutes after being installed.
The principal sent out an email describing the event as “the most egregious instance of vandalism” and promised “consequences” for the “list of suspects.”… pic.twitter.com/aAdkMtbui8
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 1, 2024
* Images from Libs of TikTok X Post *
From the New York Post:
He added there have been other instances of vandalism in recent weeks in boys’ bathrooms, including tearing down soap dispensers and stuffing objects down toilets, but he found this the “most egregious” case, per the email.
The state mandate was put in place so transgender and intersex students would have menstrual products available if needed, CT Insider reported.
“Having open dialogue in the school community can help everyone understand the law, ensure a school environment where everyone is respected, and all students are supported,” state Department of Education spokesperson Matthew Cerrone told The Post.,
State education officials aren’t aware of any other similar instances, he said.
Brookfield Schools Superintendent John Barile didn’t share many details about the incident with CT Insider, but noted the vandalism has been addressed with the student involved.
Police were not called over the incident because “law enforcement is typically not involved in situations of vandalism/destruction of property unless the act rises to a much higher level of property destruction,” Barile said, adding tampon dispensers have been vandalized in the girls’ bathrooms in past years.