Arizona elementary school teacher accused of taking a No. 1 in a can in front of students

An Arizona 6th-grade elementary school teacher is facing charges after several students reported to their principal he urinated in a can in class in front of them. Curt Hinton, 52, is now charged with indecent exposure, and he told police he had to go, but he couldn’t find someone to cover while he left the classroom.

According to AZFamily, the incident happened March 18 at Wilson Elementary School in Phoenix. According to the school’s principal, several students aged 11 and 12 said they saw Hinton urinate in a container while in class. They said they heard the sound of “falling water” and that Hinton’s privates were exposed. When you gotta go you gotta go, but it’s safe to say, this guy’s choice is ridiculous.

Hinton said he did what he was told to do in the military

Authorities say sixth-grade teacher Curt Hinton, 52, faces four counts of indecent exposure related to the incident that happened on Tuesday at Wilson Elementary School.https://t.co/WKW4zZZNaX

— WTVM News Leader 9 (@WTVM) March 22, 2025

Hinton reportedly admitted what he’d done, but said he covered himself and he didn’t think any of the students could see him. Investigators confirmed where Hinton sat was situated such that children could see what was going on beneath his desk.

According to Hinton, he was new at the school and had to use the bathroom but he didn’t know how to find someone to cover his class while he left the room. He then decided he’d urinate in the can, just like he did in the military when he couldn’t leave his post. Hinton called it an error in judgment and said he’d never done it before.

Hinton was reportedly charged with four counts of indecent exposure and booked in jail. He was given a 10,000 bond, and according to Fox 10 Phoenix, he’s expected to make a March 26 court appearance. It’s widely reported that Hinton has resigned from the school and otherwise declined to comment on the situation.

The school district’s response

Phoenix teacher Curt Hinton took "open classroom" to a whole new level by allegedly peeing in a can during class, giving students an unexpected lesson in anatomy and poor judgment. pic.twitter.com/9ZYAxWwhd1

— AZ Annie Oakley (@AZAnnieOakley) March 21, 2025

Responding to claims that Hinton couldn’t leave the classroom, Wilson Elementary School District said in a statement, “Wilson Elementary School District prioritizes the safety and supervision of students at all times.”

The statement added in part, “While there is no specific policy solely addressing teacher restroom use, it is standard practice for teachers to ensure appropriate coverage for their classrooms when they need to step away briefly. This typically involves coordinating with a neighboring teacher, instructional aide, or school administrator to ensure students remain supervised.”

One social media comment pointed out Hinton’s urgency could relate to a medical problem but that’s still no excuse. The comment read, “Some people with medical issues cannot ‘hold it.’ I had a friend like that but this guy should have planned some other way to pee if he had that kinda problem.”

Others added, “This is very disturbing, why would he do that? Good job to whoever called the cops on this creep,” and then finally, with a hint of sarcasm, “We should commend his commitment to his work even though his execution was lacking.”