BURGAW - Going potty without a partner can lead to punishment for students at a Burgaw elementary school, but parents want the policy flushed.

The Star-News of Wilmington reports that students at Malpass Corner Elementary School can't use the bathroom alone because of an ongoing graffiti problem. A letter to parents from the principal says students can go to the bathroom as a class or in pairs.

Students who go to the bathroom when they aren't supposed to are punished with a silent lunch. They must sit at a table and eat lunch alone without talking.

Parent Jaime Whitmore describes the policy as "cruel and unusual punishment." Some parents are organizing to get the policy changed.