Restricting bathrooms for transgender employees violates Title VII, says EEOC
It’s a civil rights violation to deny transgender employees access to a bathroom that comports with their gender identity, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission stated in a fact sheet posted Monday.
The agency considers discrimination against transgender individuals to be sex discrimination, which is prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In a 2015 decision, the EEOC found that restricting transgender employees to single-user bathrooms was not an acceptable alternative for employers.
North Carolina in March passed a law that requires transgender individuals to use public restrooms that match their biological gender, the Charlotte Observer reported. Private businesses and universities are not bound by the law.
Mississippi in April passed a similar law, according to the Washington Post, and the Observer reports that George, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia are considering transgender bathroom laws as well.
