P.E. Teacher Forces Girls to Use Tampons for Swimming, Sparks Outrage Online
A parent went viral on TikTok for claiming in a video that their daughter’s gym teacher "forced" students who menstruate to wear tampons during swim class.
“My daughter got her period, not for the first time but just this month. She’s currently in gym at school, there’s a rotation," TikTok user @asaltyheifer, real name Britt, began.
Britt shared that one morning, her daughter started crying and begged her not to have to go to school. The mom said her daughter told her that her "gym teacher said that even if we have our period, we have to swim."
According to Britt, the teen informed her teacher that she doesn’t use tampons, only pads. The P.E. teacher allegedly responded, “Too bad, you have to use one anyway.”
Britt was infuriated.
“I’m not going to force her to do that. She’s more comfortable using pads, but I don’t think the gym teacher or any teacher for that matter should tell her that in order to swim, she has to wear it," the mom explained.
In a follow-up video, Britt clarified her use of the word "forced," as the teacher did not physically force the daughter to wear a tampon. Rather, she told the teen that she is required to participate in swim class, and to do so must use tampons during her menstrual cycle.
Britt also shared she reached out to the school's principal to see if the tampon rule was school policy, which it seemingly wasn't. She then reached out to the gym teacher. The "old school" teacher told her that "girls always use that as an excuse" while "boys don't even have that option."
Britt said she confirmed that the teacher did not offer an alternative activity for students who menstruate but cannot or choose not to use tampons. However, the gym teacher told the mom that her daughter could be excused with a doctor's note.
In the comments sections of her Britt's video, users slammed the gym teacher.
"I had a male gym teacher. If we were on our period we walked laps around the pool as an alternative no questions asked," someone commented.
"That's a violation," another wrote.
"I sincerely hope she's not also teaching health [class]," a user weighed in.