Trans Worker Sues
Burlington Coat Factory

A transgender worker who underwent transitional surgery while employed at a Burlington Coat Factory in San Francisco claims that she endured seven years of sexual harassment, prompting a lawsuit against the company.

Maya Perez said she decided to have sex-reassignment surgery to transition from male to female while employed with the company, according to the Legal Aid Society. "One of my supervisors kept encouraging me to transition," Perez said in a statement on Tuesday, "but then when I talked to senior Burlington management about it, I was told that it was wrong."

Between 2001, when she had the surgery, and 2008, Perez said she endured groping, a supervisor who subjected her to sexually graphic conversations, and customers who were allowed to physically and verbally assault her. Management failed to intervene to stop the abuse, despite several complaints by Perez.

The Legal Aid Society Employment Law Center filed complaints on Perez's behalf of sexual harassment and discrimination on Tuesday with the San Francisco superior court.

"San Francisco is noted for its tolerance, yet Ms. Perez's experience at Burlington Coat Factory shows that we still have work to do," said Elizabeth Kristen, an attorney representing Perez. "A large percentage of transgender individuals living in the Bay Area have experienced harassment or discrimination in the workplace, which contributes to a high rate of unemployment among this population. It's a serious problem that needs to be addressed." (Michelle Garcia, Advocate.com)