Last Wednesday, George Brown College (GBC) student Charlie Reynolds was allegedly harassed by a GBC security guard at St. James campus while using a men’s bathroom.
“George Brown College you guys wanna explain why a female security guard just followed me into the men’s bathroom to threaten me to get out because she didn’t believe I was a real man?” read a Facebook post published by Reynolds on Wednesday. “And when I told her I was trans she said it didn’t matter and to get out.”
Reynolds studies baking at GBC’s Chef School so he continues to attend in-person classes. On the afternoon following the alleged incident, Reynolds posted publicly on Facebook about what had happened.
Friends of Reynolds took to social media to demand explanations from the college and share more about the neglect Reynolds experienced from security guards. As of today, his Facebook post has been shared 63 times.
“Charlie approached a different security guard. They were unsympathetic. Charlie spent the rest of his day in class knowing he couldn’t safely use a campus bathroom. Your trans students deserve to conduct their education in safety and comfort, like everyone else,” said Emma Bell, a friend of Reynolds’s on Twitter.
Charlie was followed into the washroom by a female security guard. The guard attempted to peer into the stall Charlie was using. The guard told Charlie to leave as they didn't believe he's a man. Charlie explained that he's trans. The guard said it didn't matter and to get out.
— Emma Bell, PhD (@emmabell42) March 4, 2021
In a statement from the college, vice-president of HR and public safety and security, Leslie Quinlan says they were made aware of the incident on March 4 through Reynolds’s Facebook post.
“The allegations are deeply distressing and do not reflect our values,” says Quinlan. “Transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming students have a right to study in an environment that is free from harassment and discrimination.”
Quinlan says the college is currently investigating the incident and they will decide appropriate next steps and actions once the investigation is complete.
