Posted on
Advocate.com September 14, 2011 08:20:00 PM ET
Ill. Trans Woman Wins Discrimination Suit
By Trudy Ring
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/09/14/Ill__Trans_Woman_Wins_Discrimination_Suit/In what may be the first award to a transgender person under the Illinois Human Rights Act, a taxi company has been ordered to pay more than $100,000 for discrimination against a transgender employee.
The state's Human Rights Commission awarded Venessa Fitzsimmons $104,711 as the result of her complaint against her former employer, Universal Taxi Dispatch, which serves Chicago and its suburbs, reports Windy City Times. Fitzsimmons worked at Universal from 2004 to 2008, during which time owner Gordon Simic called her a "freak," a "queer," and an "abomination," according to the judgment handed down by the commission Monday. It also says he made Fitzsimmons pay for repairs to her taxi, something not required of other employees.
