Tag: gender identity

4th Circuit ruling favors transgender student

by Rachael Luzietti After the Norfolk federal district court refused to order the Gloucester County School Board to grant the student’s request, he appealed to the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose rulings apply to all Virginia employers). Recently, the appeals court reversed the district court’s decision and issued a ruling favorable to the […]

Sex stereotyping, same-sex harassment, and transgender issues in the workplace

by Amanda Shelby We typically think of sex discrimination and sexual harassment as involving two employees of the opposite sex, but that unlawful activity can occur between employees of the same sex, too. Although federal law doesn’t explicitly recognize gender identity or sexual orientation as protected characteristics, several states and cities have passed ordinances prohibiting […]

Federal agencies cracking down on gender identity discrimination

As the debate over gender identity discrimination rages within the halls of state and federal governments, employers are left to wonder how the controversy will play out in the workplace. One high-profile aspect of the issue centers on North Carolina’s House Bill 2, which Governor Pat McCrory signed into law on March 23. The law […]

Houston fails to adopt HERO

by Jacob Monty Monty & Ramirez, LLP On November 3, Houston voters decided the fate of a controversial equal rights law by voting against the adoption of Proposition 1, the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO). The ordinance attempted to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in city employment, services, and contracts; public accommodations; and […]

guidelines

OFCCP proposes updated regulations on sex discrimination

by Tony Puckett The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has announced proposed regulations updating its current sex discrimination regulations for federal government contractors and subcontractors. The proposed regulations are the first substantive update to the “Sex Discrimination Guidelines,” which the OFCCP adopted in 1970.  The OFCCP’s press release […]

Gender identity in the workplace: Employers face emerging discrimination issue

When the Olympian and reality TV star the world knew as Bruce Jenner announced this spring that he identifies as female rather than male, the resulting publicity put a new employment issue into focus: Controversy surrounding gender identity is more than fodder for reality TV. It also poses workplace discrimination questions as well as practical […]

Which restroom should Caitlyn Jenner use?

by Kylie Crawford TenBrook Bruce Jenner, Olympic decathlon gold medalist and unfortunate/unwitting participant in Keeping Up with the Kardashians, recently transitioned from living as a man to living as a woman. For a fleeting moment, Caitlyn Jenner was even more famous than her stepdaughter, Kim Kardashian (and is, truthfully, giving her a run for her […]

Next phase of Houston’s equal rights law set

As of June 27, more employers will be covered by the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO). The ordinance adds to the protected classes covered under federal and state civil rights laws. HERO took effect on June 27, 2014, covering employers with 50 or more employees. On June 27, 2015, the law will cover employers with […]

Jenner, Dolezal, and the transformative debate

The names Caitlyn Jenner and Rachel Dolezal have been inexorably intertwined over the last couple weeks by the mainstream media and social pundits, including a debate as to whether these two individuals’ circumstances should even be intertwined because they represent entirely different discussions regarding social justice and identity. As most know, Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known […]

Indiana employers need to be ready for religious freedom law

by Angela Johnson and Martha Lemert The new Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act (IRFRA) is set to take effect July 1 after being signed into law in March and then amended in April because of objections that the statute would be used to discriminate, particularly on the basis of sexual orientation. In its amended form, […]