Walmart settles discrimination lawsuit with transgender employee who claims she was harassed

Walmart has settled a discrimination lawsuit filed by a transgender former employee.

Charlene Bost, sued the corporation in December, for wrongfully terminating her employment with them after she complained about workplace harassment. She was represented by civil rights organisation The Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, which says they are satisfied with the outcome.

While the TLDEF was looking to secure both unspecified damages and improved training to prevent the harassment of transgender workers at all Walmart stores, details of the settlement have not been released. However, it has been revealed that the US retailer did not admit to any wrongdoing.

The case was dismissed in federal court in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Charlene Bost claims she was unlawfully fired by Walmart Inc. in March 2015 (Scott Olson/Getty)

Walmart spokesperson Randy Hargrove said: “While we have strong anti-discrimination policies, we are glad we could resolve this matter with Ms. Bost.”

At the time the lawsuit was filed, TLDEF stated that it is not enough for retail giants such as Walmart to merely have anti-discrimination policies in place and said they must also make sure they are enforced throughout each and every one of their branches.

In her dispute, Bost detailed how her several of her co-workers used to refer to her as “sir” or “shim” – a term that combines ‘she’ and ‘him’ – while also labelling her “that thing with an attitude.” Bost also claimed that a male superior had physically harassed her.

Bost, 46, began presenting as a woman at work back in 2008, four years after she became an employee at the Walmart-owned Sam’s Club Warehouse store in Kannapolis, North Carolina. She went on to become a member service supervisor but was fired in March 2015.

Bost worked in a Sam’s Club warehouse, which is owned by Walmart Inc. (Scott Olson/Getty)

Bost added that her colleagues believed she suffered from gender dysphoria or upset caused by the sex she was assigned at birth, and that she believes that might have played a part in her dismissal.