A North Carolina university is probing an incident where Payton McNabb, a student, confronted a transgender woman in a campus bathroom. McNabb, previously injured by a transgender athlete in high school, recorded the encounter.
"Western Carolina University is dedicated to fostering a safe environment for all," stated a spokesperson to Fox News Digital. The university emphasizes safety, equal access to education, and adherence to all relevant policies and laws. "Unlawful discrimination is not accepted at WCU."
Details about the investigation's focus or potential disciplinary actions against McNabb were not disclosed by Western Carolina.
The confrontation video, recently uploaded to X, shows McNabb questioning, "Why are you in the girls' bathroom?" The individual, a transgender girl, responded to McNabb's challenge by expressing confusion and apology for McNabb's discomfort.
McNabb argued she pays significant tuition to feel safe in such private spaces. May Mailman, from the Independent Women's Law Center, stressed the emotional distress encounters like these can cause, especially for someone with McNabb's traumatic background. "Schools must remember their obligations to women," Mailman told Fox News Digital.
Mailman criticized colleges for focusing on what she sees as minor incidents rather than addressing other significant campus issues, like anti-Israel unrest.
Following the video’s spread, McNabb faced backlash and reports of transphobia, which also targeted her sorority. On X, McNabb expressed her belief in free speech and her right to feel safe, arguing against the accusations and the negative impact on her sorority.
In a previous incident in September 2022, McNabb was injured by a transgender volleyball player's aggressive play. The injuries she sustained include impaired vision, partial paralysis, constant headaches, and mental health issues, significantly impacting her academic performance and requiring accommodations.
North Carolina's 2016 "bathroom bill" initially required individuals to use bathrooms matching their biological sex, but was partly repealed in 2017. Federal guidelines now require public universities to accommodate students' gender identities in facilities, a stance reinforced by recent Title IX revisions under the Biden administration, expanding protections based on gender identity and sexual orientation.