COMPANY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT TRANSGENDER COOK WAS MISTREATED
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently announced that it had settled a sex harassment lawsuit, which it had filed against T.C. Wheelers, a restaurant located in Tonawanda, New York.
Apparently, a transgender man was verbally harassed by the owners and staff because he “wasn’t a real man,” and “invasive questions [were] asked about his transition and genitalia.” While the employee reported the misconduct, because the issues were not addressed, he was forced to resign.
Believing that such conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York (EEOC v. T.C. Wheelers, Inc. d/b/a T.C. Wheelers Bar & Pizzeria, Civil Action No. 1:23-cv-00286), seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief.
In addition to paying $25,000 to the impacted individual, the company agreed to improve its employment related polices and practices, particularly with respect to “gender identity and expression.”
In a written statement, Jeffrey Burstein, regional attorney for the EEOC’ New York District Office, noted that, “We appreciate T.C. Wheeler's agreement to settle this lawsuit and make proactive changes, and we are proud to have obtained an effective resolution that compensates [the forme employee] for what he endured and helps ensure that other transgender employees will be treated fairly in the future.”
Think T.C. Wheelers identified with that?
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