The Commission's Newsletter 
2005 Edition
Page 4

CCHR’s Law Enforcement Bureau fined a room listing service that had discriminated against a transgender individual $22,500. This is CCHR’s first gender-identity case to go to trial since the 2002 amendment to the City Human Rights Law was signed into law which forbids discrimination based on gender identity.

After a Manhattan-based business, Space Hunters, refused to provide services when they learned that the applicant was transgender, a complaint was filed. CCHR Staff Attorney Garfield Willis took the November 2002 case to trial and obtained a $15,000 civil penalty and $7,500 in compensatory damages, and ordered the company’s owner to undergo sensitivity training and to implement a policy against discrimination.

CCHR also resolved two other gender-identity discrimination cases in the area of public accommodation. Both cases dealt with an individual’s right to use the restroom of their choice based on their sexual-identity or expression and both cases were settled with monetary damages and sensitivity training. These cases and their outcomes demonstrate the Commission’s commitment to enforcing the Human Rights Law and send the message that discrimination in any form will not be tolerated in New York City.

During the summer, all CCHR staff members received training to better understand the problems and obstacles transgender individuals face. For additional information, CCHR’s publication Guidelines Regarding Gender Identity Discrimination can be found on the Commission’s website at www.nyc.gov/cchr or obtained by calling 311.