Dear Kenyon community,
As you know, last November Governor DeWine signed into law Senate Bill 104 (SB 104), which imposes on colleges operating in Ohio requirements related to the use of certain student restrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms and shower rooms. These requirements apply equally to public and private institutions, and Kenyon must comply. We understand the law’s requirements, and any consequences for noncompliance, to apply to institutions rather than to individuals. The law’s effective date is Feb. 25, 2025.
Since the law was signed, we have heard from and spoken with many of you as we worked to understand the scope of the law and minimize its impact on our community. We recognize that this has been an especially distressing time for transgender and nonbinary students and colleagues. We appreciate your patience as we have weighed all of the input carefully.
Below we describe what SB 104 requires of colleges and how Kenyon intends to comply.
- The law prohibits colleges from building or maintaining multi-occupancy gender-neutral restrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms or shower rooms. At Kenyon, most of these are located in residence halls. A few are in academic and administrative buildings. To comply with the law, the signage on these facilities will change, designating them for use by “men” or “women.” We are communicating the specifics of these changes to current residents of affected residence halls and buildings.
- Single-occupancy facilities are not affected by the law. A full list of single-occupancy restrooms can be found on Kenyon’s website.
- Students who wish to explore other housing options as a result of changes to the restrooms in their current residence hall may do so by contacting the Office of Residential Life or dropping in during their open hours on Tuesday, Feb. 18, and Friday, Feb. 21, in the lower level of Gund Commons.
- The law requires multi-occupancy student restrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms and shower rooms be labeled for use exclusively by students. To fulfill this requirement, Kenyon will post signs on these facilities — which are located in residence halls and the Lowry Center — that say “student restroom” or “student locker room,” as appropriate. Faculty and staff should not use these facilities.
- The law prohibits Kenyon from knowingly permitting members of the "male biological sex" to use multi-occupancy student restrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms or shower rooms designated for use by members of the "female biological sex," and vice versa. The law permits exceptions to this requirement for emergency situations, and for situations in which an individual’s job duties require them to enter a student restroom. As an example, a male custodian may enter a student restroom designated for women in order to clean it.
- The remainder of the multi-occupancy restrooms at Kenyon are located in administrative and academic buildings. They are not considered student restrooms within the meaning of the Ohio law, as they are not, and cannot be, designated for use exclusively by students. Students are permitted to use these restrooms if they choose to do so, but the student restroom requirements outlined above do not apply to these facilities.
We recognize that these changes may be deeply upsetting and disruptive for some members of our community. We wish that there were a way to comply with the law, as we are required to do, without negatively impacting members of our community. There is not. We encourage you to talk with us about any concerns you may have.
Several members of senior staff — Provost Jeff Bowman, Vice President for Student Affairs Celestino Limas, and Vice President and General Counsel Jackie Holmes — will be available on Monday, Feb. 17, 3-4 p.m., in Oden Hall’s Archon Auditorium to answer questions from the Kenyon community about our understanding of SB 104 and how Kenyon intends to comply.
We also encourage you to seek support. The Office for Civil Rights, the College Chaplains and the Office of Campus Safety are available to all members of our community. Students may also reach out to the Cox Health and Counseling Center and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Employees may access resources through the Employee Assistance Program.
Finally, Kenyon has several tools for reporting concerns. Harassment and discrimination are not tolerated on Kenyon’s campus, and we have always encouraged community members to report any incident of harassment or discrimination to the Office for Civil Rights. Students may also register a general concern or complaint to the College, which will be directed to the appropriate person on campus based on the nature of the issue raised.
We value every member of the Kenyon community. This includes our transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming students and colleagues. Our institutional values recognize the fundamental dignity of all and pledge to foster a community in which every person has a sense of full belonging and the tools to reach their full potential. We reaffirm these values today. We know and expect that our community members will continue to treat each other with the dignity and respect that our values and policies require.
Sincerely,
Julie Kornfeld, President
Jeff Bowman, Provost
Celestino Limas, Vice President for Student Affairs