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