GRIFFITH, IN—School bathrooms continue to be vandalized, with administrators receiving frequent reports of destruction, drugs, vaping, taking pictures of others and fighting.
School bathrooms are meant to be a safe place where students can relieve themselves without worry. However, some students vandalize school property for the thrill of it or to mess with staff. Students also fight in bathrooms because they are less likely to get caught than if they were fighting in the halls.
Schools have been closing bathrooms since 2020 due to the “Devious Licks” TikTok challenge. The trend involved students stealing stall doors and soap dispensers, overflowing toilets and sometimes ripping sinks or toilets off the wall. Some students continue participating in the challenge to gain followers, likes and views.
Damage has not been limited to bathrooms. Water fountains, lockers, projectors and exit signs have also been broken around the school.
Students have also been reported using drugs and vaping in bathrooms. Drug use among high school students is currently at 21.2% as of 2025, and staff members have started paying closer attention as more students are being caught.
GHS Principal Jon Chance said the school is willing to take action if safety is a concern.
“Whatever we need to do to keep our students safe, even if it means closing the bathrooms temporarily, we are willing to do because our students’ safety is our number one priority,” Chance said. He added that bathrooms should be a place where students can feel safe.
Some students say they understand the reasoning behind the closures, even if they find them frustrating.
Sophomore Gianna Norton said she was initially confused when the bathrooms were closed.
“When they closed the bathrooms, it made me feel a little confused, but when they started to explain why they did it, I started to understand,” Norton said.
Some students remain frustrated, saying they feel punished for the actions of others. Many say they are growing tired of bathrooms repeatedly closing and reopening.
