Diane Schroer, a former Special Forces commander, won her lawsuit against the Library of Congress. A judge ruled that the institution ‘was enthusiastic about hiring’ her ‘until she disclosed her transsexuality.’ (Photo by AP)
WASHINGTON
(AP)
—
A
former
Army
Special
Forces
commander
passed
over
for
a
job
as
a
terrorism
analyst
at
the
Library
of
Congress
because
she
was
in
the
process
of
transitioning
from
male
to
female
has
won
a
discrimination
lawsuit.
U.S.
District
Judge
James
Robinson
ruled
Sept.
19
that
the
Library
of
Congress
discriminated
against
Diane
Schroer
of
Alexandria,
Va.,
by
not
giving
her
the
job
after
the
former
David
Schroer
disclosed
becoming
Diane
before
beginning
the
new
job.
“The
evidence
establishes
that
the
library
was
enthusiastic
about
hiring
David
Schroer
—
until
she
disclosed
her
transsexuality,”
Robinson
wrote
in
his
decision.
“The
library
revoked
the
offer
when
it
learned
that
a
man
named
David
intended
to
become,
legally,
culturally,
and
physically,
a
woman
named
Diane.
This
was
discrimination
‘because
of
…
sex.’”
Advocates
called
the
ruling
groundbreaking
because
a
federal
judge
has
now
ruled
that
discriminating
against
someone
for
changing
genders
is
sex
discrimination
under
federal
law.
“The
court
got
it
exactly
right,
sending
a
loud
and
clear
message
to
employers
everywhere:
if
you
fire
or
refused
to
hire
someone
for
transitioning,
you
are
guilty
of
sex
discrimination
and
may
well
find
yourself
liable,”
said
Sharon
McGowan,
a
lawyer
with
the
American
Civil
Liberties
Union
who
helped
with
the
case.
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