Ohio: Health club fined for discriminating against transgender massage therapist
A health club in the US state of Ohio has been fined for discriminating against a transgender employee.
The Capital Club will pay $1,000 (£672.81) to the city of Columbus after pleading no contest to unlawful employment practices in the city’s first-ever transgender discrimination case.
The company stopped using massage therapist Savanna DeLong’s services when staff found out she was transitioning from male to female.
City prosecutors filed charges against Columbus Hospitality LLC and its general manager, Robert Bee, in December, 2012.
The defence soon decided against contesting the misdemeanor charges. Mr Bee avoided a possible jail sentence after promising to attend diversity training.
Prosecutor Lara Baker-Morrish said: “I feel that the Capital Club has taken responsibility, and I think that’s good.”
DeLong thanked prosecutors for pursing the case on Monday.