Oklahoma dad goes viral after man calls cops on him for taking daughters into empty women's restroom

This story has been updated with additional reporting on the Oklahoma restroom controversy.

Update: The man seen confronting a father for taking his young daughters into an empty women's restroom was reportedly fired by a Mississippi real estate firm. According to the company, the employee has been terminated and is no longer affiliated with the business, making his dismissal the latest development in a controversy that has sparked widespread online debate since the video surfaced.

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA: An Oklahoma father who went viral after being confronted for taking his two young daughters into a women's restroom at an Alabama gas station says he hopes the incident sparks a broader conversation about the challenges parents face when traveling alone with children.

Tyler Brodsky drew millions of views online after posting a TikTok video showing a heated confrontation inside a QuikTrip convenience store during a road trip home from Florida. The father said he chose to take his daughters into an empty women's restroom rather than bring them into a men's restroom.

"I'd rather do that than bring two little girls into a men's bathroom full of grown men and dirty stalls," Brodsky wrote alongside the video, which has amassed more than 13 million views.

Customer reports father in women's restroom

According to Brodsky, the situation escalated when another customer became upset after his wife and mother-in-law reported seeing a man inside the women's restroom.

Video from the encounter shows the customer confronting Brodsky while the father helped his daughters wash their hands. The man then called police, telling dispatchers there was "a man with two little girls using the women's bathroom."

The confrontation visibly upset Brodsky's daughters, who could be heard crying in the footage. A QuikTrip employee intervened, closed the restroom door and apologized to the family.

The customer reportedly argued that Brodsky should have asked a female employee to escort the girls into the restroom and claimed the father had "no business" being inside the women's facility.

Officers say father broke no rules

In a follow-up video, Brodsky said three police officers responded to the scene and determined he had not violated any rules. "The officers let me know I was OK, I didn't do anything wrong," he said.

According to Brodsky, officers explained that bringing two young girls into a men's restroom could also make others uncomfortable. He said police ultimately asked the other customer to leave the store.

Brodsky praised both the officers and QuikTrip employees, saying they helped reassure his daughters after the ordeal. He added that store workers even gave the girls free frozen treats.

Father's ordeal sparks nationwide parenting discussion

Speaking after the video gained national attention, Brodsky said he was surprised by the response and revealed that many parents, grandparents, and caregivers had reached out with similar stories.

TMZ reported that Brodsky hopes people do not harass the man involved in the confrontation and said his goal is to encourage discussion about the limited options parents sometimes face when caring for young children in public spaces.

"This isn't about one argument in a gas station," Brodsky said. "We're simply trying to take care of our children and keep them safe."