HSPRD Lawyers Explain Expanding Protections for LGBTQ Individuals

In June 2017, HSPRD attorneys Juliet Berger White and Charlie Wysong published two articles: “Whitaker Explained: The Seventh Circuit Protects Transgender Students” for the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, and “The Seventh Circuit Signals Federal Law Protection for Transgender Employees and Students” for the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois.

 

These articles explain the Seventh Circuit’s groundbreaking civil rights decisions that strengthen legal protections for LGBTQ individuals in Whitaker v. Kenosha Unified School District No. 1, Case No. 16-3522 (7th Cir. May 30, 2017) and Hively v. Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, No. 15-1720 (7th Cir. Apr. 4, 2017).  In Whitaker, the Seventh Circuit ruled that federal law protects transgender students’ access to school facilities that correspond with their gender identity.  In Hively, the Seventh Circuit held that Title VII prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.  With these decisions, the Seventh Circuit is leading the nation in clarifying the legal protections for LGTBQ individuals under Title IX, Title VII, and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

 

Juliet Berger-White and Charlie Wysong represent clients in complex litigation matters, with a focus on labor and employment law, civil rights, and educational equity.  They have also worked with schools and medical providers to develop best practices for transgender students and patients.

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