A Winnipeg high school is being accused of violating the privacy of students by removing the door of a girls' washroom to help curb a spike in indoor vaping.

St. James Collegiate students say they arrived at school to find the door had been removed from one of two girls' washrooms and the second one was locked.

They say students and their parents were not told about the measures beforehand.

St. James-Assiniboia acting superintendent Jenness Moffatt says it is a temporary measure designed to stop vaping and that staff are also searching some student backpacks to enforce substance-use policies.

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With files from the Canadian Press