The University of Kansas has warned a transgender employee that she could face disciplinary action for continuing to use the women’s restroom on campus.

Siobhán Kirchstein, a janitor, says she has used the women’s facilities for years without issue. But after Kansas enacted one of the nation’s strictest bathroom laws, she received an email from KU’s employee relations office informing her that her restroom use now violates state law.

Kirchstein told The Lawrence Times she has no intention of complying. “I’ll stay until they basically fire me,” she said. “If that’s what they want to do, that’s what I’ll do. But I have no intention of complying. No intention at all.”

The law, known as SB 244, requires individuals to use restrooms that correspond to the sex assigned at birth. Violations can carry fines of up to $1,000 for individuals and steep penalties for institutions. KU officials declined to comment publicly, but the email warned Kirchstein of potential consequences if she continued.

Kirchstein said she was shocked that someone within her department reported her, and she described the experience as both infuriating and isolating. She also noted that her work area lacks single‑stall, gender‑neutral restrooms.

The controversy highlights how universities may be forced to enforce the new law, even as some state officials admit it is difficult to apply consistently. Earlier this year, activists staged acts of civil disobedience at the Kansas State Capitol, and even Attorney General Kris Kobach acknowledged the law may not be enforceable in certain public facilities.

For Kirchstein, however, the threat feels immediate. “It does not matter whether or not KU says they’re not going to enforce SB 244 because all it takes is one person to freak out in the bathroom and report me, and that is exactly what happened,” she said.