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Write or Call In CampaignReporting sex-based discrimination in the USA: my steps and an ask for help
Posted March 26, 2025 by trilobyte in Activism

Hi all,

I think it is important and increasingly favorable (in the current climate) to submit reports of any sex-based discrimination to the appropriate channels.

Myself: I wrote here a while ago about an employer who only has unisex restrooms—no women’s rooms. Under the new EO section 5, agencies accepting federal funds need to supply employees with restrooms according to his or her sex. The EO makes it clear to state AG’s to pursue these cases.

I submitted my complaint the day the EO was signed, but the AG responded that my case would not be pursued.

I submitted my complaint to the DoJ because I read an article from here that a mother got justice for her daughter in a sex-based issue through that avenue. They also declined to pursue and wrote that the EEOC may be appropriate.

I filed preliminary EEOC paperwork through that channel, but I can’t even talk to anyone to file a complaint until June.

I am somewhat concerned as “gender” (not just sex) seems to be protected by the EEOC currently as interpretation of Title VII.

Personally, I quit that job because it was taking a toll on my mental health for a load of reasons. I don’t want a lawyer or to pursue this legally. I just want to leave a record of this affront to women and girls. I want to let the institution know that it’s not OK to eliminate our boundaries as female employees, students, trainees, and patrons of the daycare on site.

My ask: does anyone know what other agencies I should consider reporting to?

My call to action:

Be the annoying gadfly to jolt action. Report any BS going on in your life, as appropriate. It’s great to have boundaries.

Report your issue to the DoJ Civil Rights Division here: https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/

“We sue or prosecute individuals and organizations who violate civil rights laws.” ———

Report your issue to the EEOC here: https://www.eeoc.gov/youth/how-file-complaint

“Any individual who believes that his or her employment rights have been violated may file a job discrimination complaint with the EEOC.”

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Report to your state Attorney General by searching online for your state’s AG website. Each state will vary.

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Second call to action: I would love to expand this list with resources if we can pool our knowledge. If this has been done before, please share that too!

At the least, this can be a reminder to report and how to report.

2 comments

ProxyMusicMarch 27, 2025

Myself: I wrote here a while ago about an employer who only has unisex restrooms—no women’s rooms. Under the new EO section 5, agencies accepting federal funds need to supply employees with restrooms according to his or her sex. The EO makes it clear to state AG’s to pursue these cases.

One thing you should be aware of is that many federal and state workplace regulations only apply to businesses/organizations that have over a certain number of employees.

Also, I'd advise checking the specific labor/workplace regulations in your state. Each state will be a bit different. But the regulations pertaining to toilets and changing rooms in workplaces usually were originally written in the early-mid 20th century.

Here are some excerpts from the revelant regulations in my state:

Sec. 31-37-3. General toilet accommodations

(a) Every establishment or department of any establishment employing ten or more females shall provide at least one suitably equipped rest room. Such rest room may be located in a dressing room.

(b) Every establishment or department in which it is necessary or desirable that employees change their clothing at the beginning and the ending of work should provide and maintain for each sex a clean hygienic dressing room with ample space for each individual to hang his or her street and work clothes so that such clothing will not come in contact with the clothing of any other employee.

Sec. 31-37-5. Toilet facilities

(a) Water Closets required; sex designation. Separate water-closet compartments or toilet rooms shall be provided for each sex in every establishment where both males and females are employed. Such water closets shall be designated for the use of males and females and clearly marked “Men” or “Women” at the entrance of the toilet room or of the water-closet compartment if not located in a toilet room.

(b) Number.Water or toilet closets shall be provided for each sex at the rate of one closet to twenty persons or fraction thereof, up to one hundred, and thereafter at the rate of one closet for every twenty-five persons.

Sec. 31-37-13. Privies

All privies shall be separated for the two sexes, and marked “Men” and “Women” as required for toilet-rooms, and shall be provided with partitions and individual seats.

Sec. 31-37-14. Maintenance

(a) All water-closet compartments and all toilet-rooms and all wash and dressing rooms and all privies and the floors, walls, ceilings and surfaces thereof, and all fixtures therein, and all water-closets and urinals, basins and sinks shall at all times be maintained in good order and repair and in a clean and sanitary condition.

(b) In each toilet-room and privy an adequate supply of toilet paper in proper holdersshall be provided and it shall be of material which will not obstruct fixture or plumbing.

(c) The enclosure of all toilet-rooms, dressing-rooms or water-closet compartments and all fixtures shall be kept free from all indecent writing or marking and such defacement, when found, shall be at once removed by the employer.

https://eregulations.ct.gov/eRegsPortal/Browse/getDocument?guid={A5E3F2E4-0E8A-4C65-B437-FB726280EE8C}

trilobyte [OP]March 27, 2025

Thanks for the heads-up. I see that my state-specific law carved out “gender” protections such that having all unisex restrooms are lawful. My employer was larger than 50 people for sure.

Now I’m uncertain if the EO is the only protection for a separate women’s room.

There’s not going to be anything protective of women’s rights or spaces in my state’s law, unfortunately… just protection for gender feelings.