(OCEAN CITY, Md.)- The town of Ocean City is taking "administrative action" after Beach Patrol captain Melbourne "Butch" Arbin III sent an "inappropriate" email to dozens of employees Sunday, according to the town's spokeswoman. The email reportedly instructed employees to use the locker room "that corresponds to your DNA," officials said.
"On behalf of the Town of Ocean City, we apologize to anyone who may have been offended by the insensitive and inappropriate statements made by Captain Arbin," said Jessica Waters, Communications Manager.
"Captain Arbin's objective to address complaints made by the female employees of the Beach Patrol was well intended; however, the manner of which he did so was not professional and isn't acceptable at the Town of Ocean City," said Waters.
WRDE is told, the newly built locker room at OCBP headquarters serves close to 200 employees.
"Butch," an employee of the Beach Patrol for 40 years and captain for 20, reportedly wrote in that email, "males use the men's locker room only! Females use the women's locker room only!" He went on to say, "if you're not sure"..."go to Target."
The town issued the following statement to WRDE:
"We are disappointed with his actions and in no way do his comments represent the Town of Ocean City or our official town policy. While I cannot discuss personnel matters in detail, I can assure you that we take this matter seriously and the situation will be addressed administratively with Captain Arbin."
A plurality of American voters believe that people who are transgender should be permitted to choose which public restrooms to use, but a similar percentage say that state governments should not pass laws about the issue, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
Meanwhile eleven states are suing the Obama administration over its sweeping directive requiring all public school districts to grant transgender students access to the bathrooms that correspond with their gender identities.