The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has made it official—it will file lawsuits under Title VII based on sexual orientation discrimination. On March 1, 2016 the EEOC filed two federal lawsuits alleging that employers permitted hostile work environments because of sexual orientation and retaliated against those employees for complaining about the alleged harassment.
In EEOC
In my supervisor training sessions, I used to note that Title VII prohibits discrimination based on sex, with a reminder that it applies to both sexes. In recent training sessions, however, I find that section now takes a little longer as I have to cover gender identity and sexual orientation as separate types of sex
In a memo released by the Department of Justice yesterday, Attorney General Holder directed government attorneys to no longer exclude gender identity, including transgender issues, from Title VII’s protection against sex discrimination. This is the latest development in a trend showing that the federal government considers discrimination against transgender individuals to be unlawful and
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued a Directive on Gender Identity and Sex Discrimination (DIR 2014-02), announcing that it will follow the EEOC and investigate claims of gender identity discrimination as sex discrimination. To see the Directive, go to the OFCCP website.
OFCCP enforces Executive Order 11246, which prohibits federal contractors