FL OK's Harsh Punishments For College Staff Who Break Bathroom Law

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Florida's top education officials approved new rules at state-owned colleges and universities targeting transgender staff and students, prohibiting them from using bathrooms that don't correspond to their gender assigned at birth, according to multiple reports.

Additionally, staff and faculty who break the rules could face suspensions or job loss, reports said.

Under the new law approved by the state Board of Education on Wednesday, staff at any of Florida's 12 state colleges can be fired for using a bathroom not designated for their gender assigned at birth, CNN reported. Employees may also receive a warning or suspension without pay for a first offense, reports said.

"Institutions must investigate each complaint regarding violations of (the rule) and must have an established procedure for such investigations," the new rule text says, according to CNN.

The new rules also apply to student housing operated by state-owned colleges, the New York Times reported. Each college must create "disciplinary procedures" for transgender students who break bathroom regulations.

"Bathroom spaces are very intimate and private," said Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie, who serves on the state board and voted for approval, according to the Times. "This is not something that as a culture we should ditch."

The new law aligns with previous regulations approved and championed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and stems from House Bill 1521, which the governor signed in May.

HB 1521, called the "Ensuring Women's Safety" law, prevents transgender people from using bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity in public places like schools and correctional facilities.

"A woman should not be in a locker room, having to worry about someone from the opposite sex being in their locker room," DeSantis said when he signed the bill, according to a CNN report.

DeSantis signed off on several other bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community during the last legislative session, including outlawing gender-affirming surgery and puberty blockers for minors and expanding the "Parental Rights in Education" law, which prohibits classroom conversations on sexual orientation and gender for students in grades K-12.

In May, House Republicans approved a bill banning Florida colleges and universities from using state funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The bill also restricts teaching about race and gender on college campuses and prohibits students from majoring or minoring in critical race theory, gender studies or intersectionality.

• RELATED: 200+ New Florida Laws Go Into Effect July 1

Carlos Guillermo Smith, a senior policy adviser for LGBTQ+ rights group Equality Florida, told the Times that state officials are exceeding their authority.

"We're seeing in general that after laws are passed, agencies and boards are inflicting new harms," he told the newspaper.

"Trans people just want to pee in a stall safely and mind their own business," Max Fenning, founder and executive director of PRISM, an LGBTQ advocacy group, told USA Today. "And now college students can't even do that in their own housing."