Americans with Disabilities Act 42 U.S.C. § 12101, et. seq. Signed
advertisement
LGBT-Related Issues Under Title VII Presented by Howard B. Tarkow Maslon LLP March 18, 2015 Title VII Prohibits Sex Discrimination “Because of Sex” Male Female Female Male Same Sex Harassment Transgender LGB ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP Yes Yes ? ? ? Same Sex Harassment “Sex-related, humiliating actions” Sexual assault Threatened rape Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Incorporated, 523 U.S. 75 (1998) ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP Same Sex Discrimination Justice Scalia: “(S)tatutory prohibitions often go beyond the principal evil to cover reasonably comparable evils, and it is ultimately the provisions of our laws rather than the principal concerns of our legislators by which we are governed.” Oncale, 523 U.S. at 79 ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP Title VII Prohibits Sex Discrimination “Because of Sex” Male Female Female Male Same Sex Harassment Transgender LGB ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP Yes Yes Yes ? ? ? Transgender (Gender Identity) Discrimination EEOC – Transgender Discrimination = Sex Discrimination United State Supreme Court - Non-conformance = “Sex Stereotyping” Socially-prescribed gender roles Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins, 490 U.S. 228 (1989) ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP Transgender (Gender Identity) Discrimination Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins “Coup de grace” “Walk more femininely, talk more femininely, dress more femininely, wear make-up, have her hair styled, and wear jewelry.” ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP 490 U.S. at 235 Transgender (Gender Identity) Discrimination “Impermissible Catch-22” Women – don’t be aggressive Job requires aggressiveness Out if you are Out if you aren’t “Title VII lifts women out of this bind.” 490 U.S. at 251 ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP Transgender (Gender Identity) Discrimination Today Courts: “Near-total uniformity” Gender non-conformity = sex discrimination Glenn v. Brumby, 663 F.2d 1312, 1318, n.5 (11th Cir. 2011) ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP Transgender (Gender Identity) Discrimination Glenn v. Brumby Gender non-conformity discrimination = unconstitutional – denies equal protection Title VII – Encompasses biological differences Title VII – Non-conformance to stereotypical norms 663 F.2d at 1316 ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP Transgender – EEOC is Litigating ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP Transgender – EEOC is Litigating EEOC v. R.G & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes, Inc., No. 2:14-cv-13710-SFC-DRG (E.D. Mich. Sept. 25, 2014) Fired because of transgender Fired because of transitioning Fired for non-conformance eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP Transgender – EEOC is Litigating EEOC v. Lakeland Eye Clinic, P.A., No. 8:14-cv2421-T35 AEP (M.D. Fla., Sept. 25, 2014) Fined because of transgender Fined because of transitioning Fined for non-conformance eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP Title VII Prohibits Sex Discrimination “Because of Sex” Male Female Female Male Same Sex Harassment Transgender Yes Yes Yes Yes ? ? LGB ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP LGB Discrimination EEOC (2011) Veretto v. Donahoe (U.S. Postal Service), EEOC Appeal No. 0120110873 (July 1, 2011) Same sex marriage Non-adherence to norms Sex stereotyping – violates Title VII Sexual orientation – not unlawful ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP LGB Discrimination EEOC (2014): Title VII prohibits some sexual orientation discrimination “Black faggot a..” “Know it all fag” “Has AIDS” “__ __ __” (redacted) Muhammad v. Caterpillar, Inc., 767 F.3d 694, 696 (7th Cir. 2014) ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP LGB Discrimination Muhammad v. Caterpillar, Inc. Sexual orientation discrimination No Title VII claim Retaliation – Complaining of such discrimination No Title VII claim ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP LGB Discrimination EEOC Amicus Brief–Muhammad v. Caterpillar, Inc. “Untenable” based on Price Waterhouse Sexual orientation – Title VII discrimination Sex-based norms Preferences Expectations Stereotype ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP Other Protections for LGB 21 states and D.C. protect LGB 18 states and D.C. protect gender identity 88% of Fortune 500 protect LGB 57% of Fortune 500 protect gender identity www.hrc.org (as of December 18, 2014) ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP What About Federal Law? ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 (“ENDA”) Creates LGBT protected class Actual discrimination Perceived discrimination Prohibits retaliation ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP ENDA 4/25/13 – House H.R. 1755; Senate S.815 11/7/13 – Passed Senate, 64-32 206 House sponsors Thomas.loc.gov ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP ENDA Abandoned? Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., 134 S.Ct. 2751 (2014) Closely-held religious corporations Sincere religious beliefs Life begins at conception ACA regulations violate Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP ENDA Abandoned? ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP ENDA Abandoned? Joint statement withdrawing support of ENDA Hobby Lobby – “blank check” Discriminate against LGBT ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP LGB Protection – Federal Contractors ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP LGB Protection – Federal Contractors Amends Executive Order 11246 Federal contractors – no discrimination Federal employees – gender identity protection No faith-based exemption dol.gov 7/21/14 ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP Title VII Prohibits Sex Discrimination “Because of Sex” Male Female Female Male Same Sex Harassment Transgender LGB ©2015 Maslon LLP © 2014 Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP Yes Yes Yes Yes No ? . . . but LGBT-Related Issues Under Title VII Thank you!
