A man who went viral after confronting and calling police on a father for taking his two young daughters into a women’s restroom has been fired from his job at a Mississippi real estate firm, though he will face no criminal charges.
Starkville-based Overstreet Properties confirmed the man, who has not been publicly named, was an independent contractor and licensed realtor who was on a personal trip unrelated to the company when the confrontation took place. In a statement, the firm said: “The conduct depicted in the video does not reflect the values of Overstreet Properties or the standards we expect of those who represent our organization. Our focus remains on providing quality service to our clients, partners, and community.” A Pell City police officer confirmed to TMZ that no charges would be brought against him over the incident.
The confrontation was filmed by father Tyler Brodsky, who calmly continued recording while the man called police on him and his two young daughters. Brodsky said the encounter took place at a QuikTrip in Alabama while he was driving back to Oklahoma from Florida. Speaking to Fox News, he explained that he had taken his daughters into the women’s restroom, which was empty at the time, rather than what he described as a “dirty” men’s room. “I knocked and announced that I’m coming in with two girls, which, at this time, the bathroom was empty,” Brodsky said. “This guy comes in, starts yelling, demanding that we need to leave, I should have taken them to the men’s restroom, which I disagreed with. I’ve personally been in men’s restrooms. I just didn’t feel like it was a good place to take two little girls.”
Footage of the incident shows the man on the phone to police, demanding officers respond urgently. “There is a man with his two little girls using the women’s bathroom, he is washing his hands with his daughter right now,” he told the operator, adding moments later, “He is taking his sweet time,” as one of Brodsky’s daughters began crying due to the shouting. The man also told police his wife and “very-ill” mother-in-law were waiting to use the bathroom.
A QuikTrip employee intervened, closing the door on the man and helping Brodsky’s daughters dry their hands before they left the restroom. “There you go sweetheart,” she told one of the girls, before turning to Brodsky and saying: “I’m so sorry.” Brodsky continued filming as the confrontation spilled outside, with the man still on the phone to police describing what Brodsky was wearing.
In a follow-up video posted after the original clip went viral, Brodsky said three officers responded quickly and confirmed he had done nothing wrong. “They ended up showing up very quickly, very professional, very nice, quickly deescalated the situation,” he said. “One of the officers was talking to me and the man and pointed out that taking two little girls into the men’s restroom could be viewed just as negatively as me being in the women’s restroom with my girls. There was ultimately really nothing they could do, they let me know that I was okay, that I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Brodsky also thanked the QuikTrip employee, identified only as Melissa, for her support. “We really do appreciate your support and care that you showed us. Me being in that situation with them, we really needed that. It’s always good to have someone in your corner.” He said officers spoke with Melissa before asking the other man to leave the store, and that staff gave his daughters slushies before the family got back on the road.
Reflecting on the wider reaction to the video, Brodsky said the response had shown him he was far from alone in facing such situations. “This isn’t about one argument in a gas station. It’s about the fact that parents are often put in situations that aren’t comfortable. We’re simply trying to take care of our children and keep them safe.” He added: “I hope the man that did this will come across this video and realize what he did was wrong and not do it to anyone else.”
