The Florida State University System Board of Trustees is considering a new rule that would punish faculty members who use school bathrooms without reflecting their biological sex.
The Florida Board of Governors, the group in charge of the Florida State University System, proposed the policy Wednesday to comply with Florida law on the use of restrooms in public facilities.
The state law, also known as HB 1521, “provides requirements for the exclusive use of restrooms and locker rooms according to sex” and “prohibits voluntary entry into restrooms or locker rooms designated for opposite sex and refusing to come out when asked.”
It further requires public entities like schools to “establish disciplinary procedures or policies” for violations of the law.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., signed HB 1521 in May, which requires students and staff to use the restroom that corresponds to their biological sex.
The text of the Florida Board of Governors’ proposal states: “Each state university shall fully comply with” HB 1521, in that it will have “designated restrooms for the exclusive use of women and designated restrooms for the exclusive use of men”; or “Unisex toilets”.
The board added that university employees who violate state law will be “subject to disciplinary procedures established by their university, which shall include disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.”
According to Action News Jax, only one board member raised objections to the proposal when it was presented Wednesday, citing concerns about harassment.
Carlos Guillermo Smith, a member of the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality Florida, denounced the proposal to the Jacksonville media outlet, saying it “basically tells (LGBTQ+ teachers) that they can’t use the restroom while they’re at work “.
The board is expected to vote on regulations for the university system at a meeting in November.
The rule is similar to one that was adopted by the Florida Board of Education for the state’s university system, but it goes further and states that “a second documented violation shall result in termination” of the offending faculty member. .
State Rep. Dean Black, R-Yulee, who co-sponsored HB 1521, recently justified the legislation, saying, “I don’t understand why anyone would be confused in the first place, but if this becomes a pattern of behavior , which would constitute a second offense. it’s clearly, yes, I think you should be fired. I think there should be no tolerance for disrespect of women’s privacy.”
The Board of Governors did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
New York Post
