Parents, staff raise concerns about restrooms at Mesa school’s softball fields

By Madeline Bates
Mail

Several speakers at the May 28 Mesa Public Schools meeting shared their disgust over inadequate restrooms and facilities for the athletes and patrons who use the softball fields at Red Mountain High School.

Speakers shared that unreliable plumbing, electricity as well as inaccessible areas and uncleanliness were major problems for everyone involved and some were fed up with the district’s solution of portable bathrooms.

“At some point we have to say enough is enough. This is not just an inconvenience, but an issue involving safety, dignity and accessibility,” said Brian Murray, a booster club member and umpire for Mesa Public Schools.

The issue also impacted the safety of the athletes and those in attendance.

Peyton Westra, a softball player who recently graduated from Red Mountain, said she and her teammates were frequently walked in on while using the bathroom due to broken locks and that there was no running water, making it difficult to clean wounds and instead having to call for help.

“I have been cut and injured many times, and there was no running water and at night games the lights are broken so you can’t tell when someone is in the bathroom or not,” Westra said.

The issue was not on the agenda, and therefore not addressed by the board, but the commenters called for solutions and to create a timeline to address the issue.

“What you’ve heard today is not isolated incidents; it’s a pattern of incidents that has been going on since the school opened over 40 years ago and continues to happen to this day,” said Murray.

To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

Madeline Bates
Reporter | Tempe/East Phoenix

mbates@iniusa.org

Meet Madeline

Madeline Bates joined Independent Newsmedia in 2025 as a Phoenix/Tempe reporter. Before graduating college, she spent a semester in Washington as a Congressional reporter in the first 100 days of the second Trump administration. But local news is where her heart is. She is excited to be in Phoenix full time and exploring new parts of the city (as long as they have AC).  

Community: After living in East Phoenix for two years, she fell in love with Paradise Valley, Mesa, Tempe, and everywhere in between. She recently discovered the beauty of the South Mountain Reserve and hopes to continue exploring should the weather comply.

Education: Madeline has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and a certificate in Political History and Leadership.

Random Fact: She is a self-taught nail tech. No, she cannot do your nails.

Hobbies: Hiking (when its not 100 degrees), fiction writing, cooking, baking and trying new coffee shops.