Chickasaw County Courthouse in Houston, Miss. – Photo: Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD.
A former county corrections officer in Mississippi is suing her employer, alleging that she was fired because she is transgender.
Elise Hebert, a prison guard in Chickasaw County, is seeking back wages and damages for sexual harassment that she claims she was subjected to while on the job.
In her lawsuit, Hebert claims that she was harassed after her fellow officers at the county jail learned of her gender identity, reports NBC affiliate WTVA.
After being hired, Hebert claims that Brand Huffman, the warden, confronted her and asked about her past. He pulled her into an office with George Dallas, the chief of security at the prison, making Hebert feel embarrassed, offended, and uncomfortable at being the only female in the room.
Hebert asked that her transgender status be kept confidential, but it became apparent that her gender identity was not only widely known, but was being discussed among her co-workers and even some inmates.
Hebert claims she was subjected to derogatory and humiliating statements concerning her sexuality and gender at work, was never paid on time, leaving her at times without enough money to fill her gas tank so she could get to work, and was targeted by other officers and superiors, who lodged complaints about her behavior on the job, even though it was no different from that of her male co-workers.
She claims she was targeted because her behavior did not conform to stereotypes about how women are supposed to behave — which would be considered a form of sex-based discrimination.
Hebert says she complained to her superiors, as well as to Sheriff James Meyers, about her treatment, but no action was ever taken. Due to the complaints against her, she was eventually fired.
Hebert’s attorney, Lisa Bennett, told WTVA she has not received a response from the county in reaction to the lawsuit. The county has by Nov. 30 to respond.
"This year, we had the death of Pauly Likens, who was 14, the youngest victim we've ever recorded," says Dr. Shoshana Goldberg. "We see many victims misgendered and deadening by authorities, and reporting what emerged this year is not surprising. What is unsurprising and heartbreaking is that we just see the same things happen. Even as while the numbers may change from year to year, the same trends continue to emerge."
Goldberg is the director of public education and research at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation's largest LGBTQ civil rights organization. Earlier today, one day before Transgender Day of Remembrance, which memorializes those trans people who have lost their lives to murder or suicide, the foundation released a report detailing the extent of violence directed against members of the transgender and gender-nonconforming communities in the United States.
A proud Cuban American transgender man, Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen is the Executive Director of Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE).
METRO WEEKLY: Tell me about your experience on election night. How did you feel as the night started and when did it sink in for you that things weren't going as hoped?
RODRIGO HENG-LEHTINEN: I was nervous going into election night, as so many of us were. We know how high the stakes were. We know that our freedoms were on the line. So I was anxious.
As the night went on and things started looking like the vote count was against us, I still was quite patient. I've worked on campaigns for a long time now and have learned a lot about how vote counting works. You have to keep in mind that every ballot has to be counted, it takes time, and mail-in ballots are often the last ones to be counted, and they tend to skew Democrat. So I was patient, patient, patient, anticipating. We’ve got to count every vote to actually see where this lands. But as the hours passed, of course, that did not turn out to be enough.
The city council of Odessa, Texas, passed a "bathroom ban" that disallows transgender individuals from using restrooms in public buildings that don't match their assigned sex at birth.
The measure, approved by a 5-2 vote, expands a 1989 ordinance prohibiting individuals from entering restrooms of the opposite biological sex.
Under the updated ordinance, the city can seek fines of up to $500 against anyone violating the law. Those who enter facilities not designated for their assigned sex at birth will face misdemeanor trespassing charges, reported the Texas Tribune.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
A former county corrections officer in Mississippi is suing her employer, alleging that she was fired because she is transgender.
Elise Hebert, a prison guard in Chickasaw County, is seeking back wages and damages for sexual harassment that she claims she was subjected to while on the job.
In her lawsuit, Hebert claims that she was harassed after her fellow officers at the county jail learned of her gender identity, reports NBC affiliate WTVA.
After being hired, Hebert claims that Brand Huffman, the warden, confronted her and asked about her past. He pulled her into an office with George Dallas, the chief of security at the prison, making Hebert feel embarrassed, offended, and uncomfortable at being the only female in the room.
Hebert asked that her transgender status be kept confidential, but it became apparent that her gender identity was not only widely known, but was being discussed among her co-workers and even some inmates.
Hebert claims she was subjected to derogatory and humiliating statements concerning her sexuality and gender at work, was never paid on time, leaving her at times without enough money to fill her gas tank so she could get to work, and was targeted by other officers and superiors, who lodged complaints about her behavior on the job, even though it was no different from that of her male co-workers.
She claims she was targeted because her behavior did not conform to stereotypes about how women are supposed to behave — which would be considered a form of sex-based discrimination.
Hebert says she complained to her superiors, as well as to Sheriff James Meyers, about her treatment, but no action was ever taken. Due to the complaints against her, she was eventually fired.
Hebert’s attorney, Lisa Bennett, told WTVA she has not received a response from the county in reaction to the lawsuit. The county has by Nov. 30 to respond.
Read more:
The Feed: Miley Cyrus thought she “had to be gay”; “Dangerous” app claims to identify gay DNA; Marriage equality in Northern Ireland
Portland man who attacked two gay men outside bakery gets 15-day jail sentence for bias crime
Florida theater teacher fired from Christian school because she’s gay
READ NEXT