Victory! Lambda Legal Helps South Dakota Transgender Employee Win Landmark Settlement After Wrongful TerminationLambda Legal, September 16, 2013
Today Lambda Legal announced a landmark settlement for Cori McCreery, a transgender woman in South Dakota who was terminated from her job after she informed her employer that she would be taking steps to transition from male to female at work.
Backed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Cori's settlement includes $50,000, the maximum statutory amount for a business with under 100 employees, plus public notice on the EEOC website, public notice on the workplace bulletin board, a mandatory policy in the workplace on workplace protections, a yearly three-hour all-staff mandatory training on workplace protections, and a letter of apology and letter of recommendation for McCreery.
"This comprehensive settlement makes a strong statement about the EEOC's commitment that discrimination against transgender workers will not be tolerated," said Dru Levasseur, Transgender Rights Project Director for Lambda Legal. "The days of firing people on the basis of their gender identity or gender expression have passed. The EEOC has demonstrated clear support, and we anticipate more victories for transgender and gender nonconforming people."
