LGBT rights activists in Texas are warning that a proposed bill could be used to force teachers to out students to their parents.

State Senator Konni Burton, a Republican from Fort Worth, filed her bill (SB 242) last week ahead of the legislative session, which begins in January. Burton's proposal states that parents have the right to all records and information related to their child, including “any general knowledge.”

DeAnne Cuellar of Equality Texas, the state's largest LGBT rights advocate, said the bill would harm LGBT youth.

“This is a violation of personal privacy and the legislation puts LGBT youth in harm's way,” Cuellar said. “Teachers can't effectively do their job if they're worried about being penalized for not outing their students to their parents. Classrooms have always been a refuge and a safe space for students to confide in their mentors, their counselors and teachers.”

Burton's chief of staff told the Houston Chronicle that the bill was a response “to the Fort Worth school district issuing new guidelines about transgender students” and their right to privacy.

Educators who fail to comply would be subject to disciplinary action, the bill warns.