At colleges across the country, biological men are allowed in women’s restrooms and biological women are allowed in men’s restrooms. But at Brooklyn College, students want to ban the New York Police Department from all bathrooms.
The Excelsior, Brooklyn College’s student newspaper, first reported that after a showing of “Watched” on campus, students expressed concerns over the presence of police on campus. According to a description provided by the Excelsior, “Watched” is a documentary about the NYPD’s surveillance of Muslims, including students.
The Excelsior reports one student was so affected by the showing, he claimed he was writing a petition to college president Michelle Anderson in order to ban police from campus entirely.
The student reportedly claimed he wanted Anderson to make a statement saying the administration at Brooklyn College does “not want the NYPD on campus in any respect even if it’s just to take breaks and use bathroom.”
Instead of just ignoring the concern of the students since the NYPD is an important part of the NYC community, Brooklyn College Director of Public Safety Donald Wenz issued a statement saying that while the NYPD is allowed to use bathrooms on campus, they should be limited to the West End Building bathrooms, “rather than walking across either quad to use the bathroom” and upsetting students.
The New York Post decided to check out the Brooklyn College campus to survey the bathrooms Wenz recommends the NYPD use in order to not disturb students. The New York Post notes the West End building bathroom is in disarray:
A visit by The Post to the first-floor men’s room in the WEB — located past the school’s tennis courts and next to its athletic field — revealed a broken toilet with a hideously stained seat and an “OUT OF ORDER” sign taped to the door of its stall.
There was also a total lack of soap and paper towels.
A student at Brooklyn College told the New York Post students “don’t feel comfortable around cops. They just don’t. It makes safe spaces feel not so safe.”
Wenz told the New York Post his bathroom suggestion was a mere recommendation not meant to startle students.
Police Commissioner James O’Neill addressed the Brooklyn College story by saying, “If you take a look at what is going on around the city, now’s the time for people to get to know their police officers, not to push them away.”
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio also reportedly said the college “should never ban any police presence on campus.”
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