The Charlotte Observer reports that Jonathan Wolfe, a transgender woman, was subjected repeatedly to discrimination and sexual harassment while working for a Bojangles’ restaurant in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
According to the lawsuit filed by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a series of confrontations ensued between Wolfe and the staff after she came to the establishment off-duty while wearing feminine clothing. Specifically, the lawsuit references a series of discriminatory incidents such as:
- An assistant supervisor told Wolfe “Pray to God or go to hell” and “God made woman for man.”
- The supervisor instructed Wolfe to change her voice and stride to “look like a male” when she was assigned to work as a cashier.
- A manager threatened to fire Wolfe for wearing braided hair extensions when she came to work off-duty.
The lawsuit claimed that Wolfe was fired after complaining about the episodes of discrimination. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits retaliation against workers for reporting discrimination, though Bojangles’ claims that Wolfe was fired due to becoming “loud and disruptive and blocked customers from placing their orders” after she was told that she would be transferred to another location in February 2013.
“Bojangles’ expressly denies it has subjected Wolfe to harassment or discrimination in violation of Title VII and expressly denies that Wolfe was terminated in retaliation for purported complaints of sexual harassment or discrimination.” wrote the company in answer to the US DIstrict Court of North Carolina.
According to the Williams Institute at UCLA, 77 percent of transgender workers in North Carolina experience discrimination, and that 47 percent are not hired because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
This case could potentially set a precedent that would allow a higher percentage of transgender people to gain employment, and to take legal action against workplace discrimination.
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