A Michigan mom says her son’s school humiliated him by making him clean up another student’s urine. Kaitlynn McCarthy’s 9-year-old son, Reese, attends Ebeling Elementary School in Macomb, a school she believed she could trust. But now McCarthy feels like her son’s school betrayed their family. She first took her story to social media, where it quickly caught the attention of her community.
McCarthy wrote on Facebook on March 5, 2025, that her son’s principal allegedly forced him to clean up another student’s urine per school policy, which upset him. This enraged the mother, who wanted suggestions on how to handle the situation.
“I called the super intendant, the principal then called me and explained that this is the classroom policy and because he was the last one to use the bathroom before the next girl reported it to her it was on him to clean up, Reese didn’t tell her that it was there before he used the bathroom otherwise he wouldn’t of had to clean it up,” the mom explained in her post.
A friend wrote, “That, in my opinion, is the janitor’s job! That is not the responsibility of any elementary child or any child for that matters job!”
“So why is a 3rd grader cleaning up bodily fluids. Did they have him put gloves on to protect himself from exposure to the germs and possible bacteria??” someone else commented. “You can get ill if the urine is infected. Most likely it wasn’t but how does the teacher know. This is just my medical experience speaking. I would not be happy either….”
Another questioned the legality of the incident. “Is this even legal???” the person wrote. “I’m certain there are policies in place for the proper cleaning of bodily fluids. I’d be furious. And she has no way of knowing it was even Reece’s own urine.”
WXYZ contacted Utica Community Schools, which released the following statement:
The district has become aware of a report that a student was involved in cleaning up urine in a school bathroom. District protocols require that our facilities staff or other trained personnel clean and manage our restrooms and classrooms.
Currently, the situation is being investigated to ensure that proper protocols are understood and being followed within the building. As this matter involves the privacy of students and staff members, the district will not comment further at this time.
The health and safety of our students remains a top priority for Utica Community Schools. UCS appreciates its strong partnership with parents and community members as together we provide every child with an education of excellence.
“I was embarrassed for my son,” McCarthy told the news outlet. “He was crying in front of his whole entire class.”
The mom of three told WXYZ she intends to move her children to another school within the district next year.
