Researcher Testifies Job Offer Rescinded After Sex Change Disclosed
A terrorism researcher testified yesterday that her job offer with the Library of Congress was rescinded after she disclosed she was planning to undergo a sex change.
Diane Schroer choked back tears during her testimony in a Washington, D.C., federal courtroom, the Washington Post reports. “I honestly felt a little surprised and shocked,” Schroer said. “Every day, I wish the phone rang and they said, ‘We made a mistake.’ ”
At the time, Schroer was still a man and used the name David. She has since transitioned to a female.
Her résumé included seven years in the Army Special Forces command and a stint as head of a classified organization that tracked international terrorists. She is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union.
Justice Department lawyers argue that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act does not protect transsexuals or bar discrimination based on gender identity. They say the supervisor who changed her mind about the job offer was legitimately concerned that the sex transition would take time away from Schroer’s work and threaten her credibility.
Professor Arthur Leonard of New York Law School told the National Law Journal that the Title VII question is an emerging issue. The question is “whether people whose gender identity differs from the norm would be protected by the law’s provisions against sex discrimination.”
