In March 2018, the 6th Circuit ruled in favor of a transgender woman who was beginning the process of becoming a female. The woman claimed that she was fired from the funeral home that she worked at because of her gender identity. According to the court, an employer’s religious beliefs do not justify discrimination and that Title VII protected transgender employees. However, how this applies to Florida residents may be unclear after a legal challenge from representatives of 16 states.
They have asked the Supreme Court to rule that Title VII doesn’t protect workers based on gender identity. The group filed an amicus brief with the court saying that Congress only intended protection based on sex to refer to biological sex. It concluded that the court exceeded its power by interpreting the rule in a manner that it felt was not consistent with what Congress had intended.
A representative from the National Center for Transgender Equality claimed that the legal challenge was little more than an attack on transgender people. This person further stated that precedent had established that cases such as this one were clearly examples of sex discrimination.
Individuals in Boca Raton, Florida, who believe that they have been treated unfairly at work based on their gender identity may benefit from consulting with an attorney. It may be possible to file a Title VII lawsuit in an effort to hold an employer accountable for acting in a discriminatory fashion. Evidence of discrimination may include witness statements or patterns in the types of people who are hired, promoted or terminated by a company.
