CNN —

Florida education officials on Wednesday unanimously approved harsher penalties against state college employees who violate a new law barring them and students from using restrooms or changing facilities for a gender other than the one assigned at birth.

The move by the state board of education comes as LGBTQ advocates have criticized the law as a larger effort to erase them from Florida schools and society.

DeSantis signs into law restrictions on trans Floridians' access to treatments and bathrooms

Under the new rules approved Wednesday, staff and faculty at Florida colleges can be fired if they use a restroom for a gender that does not correspond withtheir gender assigned at birth.

Employees may also face a verbal and written warning and suspension without pay as penalty for a first offense. Colleges will be forced to fire employees after a second offense, according to the new rule’s text.

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

The new rule also requires violations to be documented, including the name of the person who violated the rule as well as the person who asked that person to leave the restroom. The complaint must also include “the circumstances of the event sufficient to establish a violation,” according to the new rule.

The restrictions also apply to college-run student housing. Additionally, colleges have the option of...

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