Saks wades deeper into trouble over the lawsuit a former employee brought against the retailer, claiming she was fired from her position at one of the store’s Texas locations because she’s a trans woman. Saks is looking to dismiss the suit based on a claim that transgendered people are not protected under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from discriminating against workers based on sex, religion, nationality, etc. Several courts, the Department of Justice and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission consider trans people to be included under that particular law.
New York’s attorney general is going to conduct a deeper investigation of Saks’ policies, ordering the retailer to turn over paperwork regarding its anti-discrimination policies and procedures in handling claims made by employees. Last week, Saks doubled down on its position that transgendered employees are not covered under the Civil Rights Act, all the while reassuring the public that it does not discriminate against the LGBT community. Funny way of showing it.
We’re hoping this probe doesn’t bring us more bad news about Saks, but it’s clear that the retailer should start rethinking its policies regarding transgendered employees if it wants to avoid future troubles.
[via NYT]
