A Feminism Club sign was found plastered against the  inside of a urinal in the boys’ bathroom, soaked in urine. The sign, which provided students with information regarding the location of a club meeting, was found in the bathroom across from Room A102 on Oct. 13.

     According to senior Sydney Cohen, president of Feminism Club, the board members were appalled when they heard about the incident.

     “We were kind of just initially disgusted by the fact that somebody would be compelled to pee on equality,” Cohen said.

     Michael Tarjan, assistant principal of student activities, said the incident is extremely inappropriate and is something students should recognize as highly offensive.

     “The decisions that people make to do these kinds of things [are] just wrong,” said Tarjan. “It’s not funny. It’s hurtful, it’s hateful, … and we need to do a better job of being respectful to all those who are in our building.”

     Cohen describes feminism as the belief that men and women should be equal.

     “To think that somebody could be compelled to do something that disrespectful to something that is so important to me just broke my heart,” Cohen said.

     Tarjan said the incident may have occurred as a result of disregard for the values of others.

     “When I think of the impact of a disrespectful act [such as] urinating on a sign, I’m not sure the people that did that or even the people that laugh at that understood the impact it would have on a group of people, let alone an individual,” Tarjan said.

     According to Associate Dean Jeanette Jordan, the perpetrator or perpetrators could not be identified because they did not appear on the surveillance cameras.

     English teacher Susan Albert, sponsor of Feminism Club, said whoever was involved in the incident must not have understood what the club stands for.

     “[They] must feel threatened because that kind of action is not only disrespectful and insulting, but … there is [an] undertone of dominance in that gesture,” Albert said.

     She said the incident will not change the way Feminism Club operates.

     “It verified the feeling that the school needs the club because there’s so much misunderstanding about what feminism is,” Albert said.

     She said there are ways for people to express disagreement with feminism besides urinating on a sign.

     “If you have a criticism, if you have a concern, you should be talking with the people in a respectful way, not making an immature and anonymous gesture,” said Albert. “That’s cowardly.”

     According to Tarjan, these actions are sometimes born out of ignorance.

     “I look at the Feminism Club and the history of the Feminism Club, and the word feminism may rub people the wrong way, but that’s because they don’t understand,” said Tarjan. “I hope that people, before they judge, seek to understand first and remember that we all have our own beliefs, and we all stand for something, … and we all have an opportunity to impact others positively.”