$60K Settlement For Denver Transgender Job Discrimination Suit

DENVER, CO – Almost five years after filing a sex discrimination law suit against a Denver-based tire company, a transgender job applicant will receive a settlement of $60,000 and a letter of apology, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said.

The EEOC filed the suit against A&E Tire in 2014 on behalf of Egan Woodward, who said he applied for a manager position at A& E and was offered the job.

Woodward filled out background check forms using a former feminine name, and after the hiring manager confirmed that Woodward had formerly presented as a woman, he "abruptly hung up after stating, ‘Oh, that's all I need,'" the lawsuit said, as reported in the Denver Post. The company ended up hiring someone else, the lawsuit said.

The EEOC settled the lawsuit after months of discovery and a court order denying A&E Tire’s motion to dismiss. According to the agency, the district court said the EEOC "plausibly alleged that A&E Tire had not hired Mr. Woodward because he did not conform to sex stereotypes."

A&E Tire's attorney Marilee Langhoff told the Denver Post that the company did not admit any liability with the settlement, even though the company was asked to write a letter of apology to Woodward.

The consent decree also requires A&E Tire to "make clear in its employment policies that it will not tolerate sex discrimination, including discrimination based on sex stereotyping and transgender status, and to train its managers and employees on the laws prohibiting those forms of discrimination," the EEOC said in a press release.

“We appreciate A&E Tire’s agreement to settle this lawsuit, and we are proud to have obtained an effective resolution that compensates Egan for what he experienced and helps ensure that other transgender applicants and employees will be treated fairly,” said Regional Attorney Mary Jo O’Neill of the EEOC’s Phoenix District Office in a statement. “The settlement underscores the EEOC’s commitment to eradicating all forms of sex discrimination, including discrimination against LGBTQ individuals.”

Read more in the Denver Post.