Does Federal Law Cover Transgender Bias? Fifth Circuit Gets Case

Another federal appeals court will have an opportunity to consider whether federal job discrimination law covers transgender workers.

Nicole Wittmer, a transgender woman, lost a lawsuit in which she said Phillips 66 Co. withdrew a job offer after it learned about her gender identity. She couldn’t undercut Phillips’ contention that it withdrew the offer because of information revealed in a background check, Judge Lee H. Rosenthal of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas said April 4.

Wittmer has now filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Rosenthal ruled ...