© Wolfgang Rattay / Reuters
The student, who was 14 years old at the time, was attending a 25-minute freshman advisory class at Patrick Henry High School when she requested to use the bathroom.
Her art teacher, Gonja Wolf, barred her "from going to the restroom, and directed her to urinate in a bucket in a small room adjacent to the class," according to a recorded message that the principal of the school sent to parents.
The claim also states that the teacher told the student to "empty the contents in an unused classroom sink," according to KGTV.
In February 2012, the student filed a claim against her teacher and the San Diego Unified School District for damages of more than $10,000 and psychological treatment and medical expenses of $25,000, as well as costs of transferring to a private school.
"Something like this never should have happened to a 14-year-old girl just entering high school," the student's attorney, Brian Watkins, told the San Diego Tribune. "She took the stand and told a really embarrassing story, she told the jury how this has affected her life and how she is still working through issues."
Lawyers said that the student was given "humiliating instructions" within earshot of her classmates in order to prevent other students from requesting to leave class to use the restroom, the claim states.
Watkins stated in the claim that as a result of the incident, the student "suffered emotional distress arising out of this humiliating and depraved punishment. She has been teased by classmates and remains extremely embarrassed," the Tribunereported.
Watkins also claimed that the student was traumatized by the non-stop news coverage, and reporters showing up at her school and her home, causing the student to end up in the emergency room after a suicide attempt.
Wolf no longer works at the school, and says she never meant to embarrass the student.
Wolf's attorney, Fern Steiner, says that the school advised teachers to deny bathroom passes during shorter classes. She also claims that Wolf purchased the bucket to use as a toilet in the case of an emergency, and had used it herself while working late at school.
After the claim was issued, school administrators apologized to the girl and her parents and told teachers that students should not be denied requests to use the bathrooms anymore.
On Thursday, the jury awarded the student $1.25 million in damages and $41,000 to cover medical expenses. The student, who is now 19 years old, went on to earn a diploma from a different school.
"She is very happy she was able to have her voice heard," Watkins told the Tribune. "I've been doing this for 20 years and this was one of the more peculiar cases I've had. The jury was fair and reasonable."
Our history teacher was a priest. I remember one day getting to his class and there was a puddle in the corner of the classroom with some paper towels on it to try and soak it up.
When I asked a fellow student who was leaving after the previous class what it was, he told me that a female student had peed in the corner because the priest would not let her use the restroom.
Never once did this girl complain about it, claim that it had ruined her life or even report it to the principal of the school.
We all had a good laugh about it and then moved on.
As far as I know, that poor young lady went on to lead an absolutely normal life. This occurred in the early nineties.
Kids today are too soft.