Texas AG Ken Paxton sets up 'tip line' to help public report 'mentally ill men' in women's restrooms
A new initiative launched by the Texas Office of the Attorney General is aimed at helping citizens stop “mentally ill men” from entering women's restrooms in public spaces.
Senate Bill 8 (SB 8), known as the Texas Women’s Privacy Act, which took effect on Dec. 4, requires state agencies, political subdivisions, public schools, charter schools, and higher education institutions to designate multiple-occupancy restrooms, locker rooms and similar private spaces for use by one sex only, based on biological sex. Institutions must take reasonable steps to prevent entry by individuals of the opposite sex.
The law imposes penalties on institutions rather than individuals: $25,000 for a first violation and up to $125,000 per day for subsequent ones. Churches, restaurants, gyms and other private facilities are not affected by SB 8.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Wednesday the launch of an online complaint form to provide “Texans who believe that a state agency or political subdivision has violated SB 8 at any time after” Dec. 4 a way to help support enforcement and compliance with the law.
The form requires that any complaint be accompanied by specific details of the alleged violation, including the location of the violation and the public agency associated with that location.
Paxton's office says it only investigates complaints after they are first submitted to the accused agency. Any individuals affected by violations can also pursue legal action.
"The Texas Women’s Privacy Act was passed to ensure that women and girls in Texas are protected from mentally ill men wanting to violate their basic right to privacy in places like restrooms and locker rooms,” said Paxton, a Republican and staunch ally of President Donald Trump. “It’s absolute insanity that action like this is even needed, but unfortunately in the day and age of radical leftism, it is.”
An option to submit photos to the tip line has drawn criticism from opponents who say it could lead to a violation of a Texas law prohibiting the use of a camera inside a restroom.
Last week, a federal appeals court ruled that Travis County District Attorney José Garza can proceed with an investigation into a 2023 photo taken inside a bathroom at the Texas Capitol by now-Williamson County Republican Party Chair Michelle Evans after she posted a photo of a man in the women’s restroom.
Despite just taking effect this month, SB 8’s impact is already being felt beyond public restrooms.
At the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), administrators relocated students from mixed-gender dorm suites — where residents often share common bathroom areas — to comply with the law, affecting those sharing facilities with someone of the opposite sex. The university has also encouraged students to report any potential violations to a “compliance hotline.”
Known as the Texas “bathroom bill” and authored by Texas state Sen. Mayes Middleton, SB 8 passed in September with bipartisan support, making Texas the 20th state in the nation to enact legislation protecting restroom privacy for women and girls.
Opponents of the bill, however, have voiced concerns about over-enforcement and potential public harassment by people they deride as “bathroom monitors."
