Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-05-04193/USCOURTS-ca10-05-04193-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
American Civil Liberties Union
Amicus Curiae
American Civil Liberties Union of Utah
Amicus Curiae
Equal Employment Advisory Council
Amicus Curiae
Krystal S. Etsitty
Appellant
Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc.
Amicus Curiae
National Center for Lesbian Rights
Amicus Curiae
National Center for Transgender Equality
Amicus Curiae
Betty Shirley
Appellee
The Transgender Law and Policy Institute
Amicus Curiae
Transgender Law Center
Amicus Curiae
Utah Transit Authority
Appellee

Document Text:

FILED

United States Court of Appeals

Tenth Circuit

September 20, 2007

Elisabeth A. Shumaker

Clerk of Court

PUBLISH

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

TENTH CIRCUIT

KRYSTAL S. ETSITTY,

Plaintiff-Appellant,

v. No. 05-4193

UTAH TRANSIT AUTHORITY; BETTY

SHIRLEY, in her individual and official

capacities,

Defendants-Appellees.

___________________________

AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION;

AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF

UTAH; LAMBDA LEGAL DEFENSE AND

EDUCATION FUND, INC.; NATIONAL

CENTER FOR LESBIAN RIGHTS;

NATIONAL CENTER FOR TRANSGENDER

EQUALITY; THE TRANSGENDER LAW

AND POLICY INSTITUTE; TRANSGENDER

LAW CENTER; EQUAL EMPLOYMENT

ADVISORY COUNCIL,

Amici Curiae.

APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF UTAH

(D.C. NO. 2:04-CV-616-DS)

Erik Strindberg (Ralph E. Chamness and Erika Birch, with him on the briefs),

Strindberg Scholnick & Chamness, LLC, Salt Lake City, Utah, for PlaintiffAppellant.

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The Honorable Phillip S. Figa, District Judge, United States District Court *

for the District of Colorado, sitting by designation.

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Scott A. Hagen (Michael E. Blue with him on the brief), Ray Quinney & Nebeker,

Salt Lake City, Utah, for Defendants-Appellees.

Rose A. Saxe and James D. Esseks, American Civil Liberties Union Foundation

and Lesbian & Gay Rights Project, New York, New York; Margaret Plane,

American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Utah, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah;

Cole Thaler, Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia;

Shannon Minter, National Center for Lesbian Rights, San Francisco, California,

on the brief for American Civil Liberties Union, American Civil Liberties Union

of Utah, Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund, Inc., and National Center for

Lesbian Rights; as Amici Curiae in Support of Plaintiff-Appellant.

Kathryn Kendell, San Francisco, California, and Christopher W. Daley,

Transgender Law Center, San Francisco, California, on the brief for National

Center for Transgender Equality, Transgender Law and Policy Institute, and

Transgender Law Center as Amici Curiae in Support of Plaintiff-Appellant.

Ann Elizabeth Reesman and Laura Anne Giantris, McGuiness Norris & Williams,

LLP, Washington, DC, for Equal Employment Advisory Council, on the brief for

The Equal Employment Advisory Council as Amici Curiae in Support of

Defendants-Appellees.

Before HENRY and MURPHY, Circuit Judges, and FIGA, District Judge. *

MURPHY, Circuit Judge.

I. Introduction 

Krystal Etsitty, a transsexual and former employee of Utah Transit

Authority (“UTA”), sued UTA and Betty Shirley, her former supervisor, pursuant

to 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2(a)(1) (“Title VII”) and 42 U.S.C. § 1983. In her

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complaint, she alleged the defendants terminated her because she was a

transsexual and because she failed to conform to their expectations of

stereotypical male behavior. She alleged that terminating her on this basis

constituted gender discrimination in violation of both Title VII and the Equal

Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The defendants filed a motion

for summary judgment and the district court granted the motion. In doing so, it

determined transsexuals are not a protected class for purposes of Title VII and the

prohibition against sex stereotyping recognized by some courts should not be

applied to transsexuals. It also concluded that even if a transsexual could state a

Title VII claim under a sex stereotyping theory, there was no evidence in this case

that Etsitty was terminated for failing to conform to a particular gender

stereotype. Etsitty appeals the district court’s order granting summary judgment

to the defendants. Exercising jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291, this court

affirms the district court’s grant of summary judgment. 

II. Background

Etsitty is a transsexual who has been diagnosed with Adult Gender Identity

Disorder. Although Etsitty was born as a biological male and given the name

“Michael,” she identifies herself as a woman and has always believed she was

born with the wrong anatomical sex organs. Even before she was diagnosed with

a gender identity disorder, Etsitty lived and dressed as a woman outside of work

and used the female name of “Krystal.” Eventually, Etsitty began to see an

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endocrinologist who prescribed her female hormones to prepare for a sex

reassignment surgery in the future. Etsitty made the decision at that time to live

full time as a woman. While she has begun the transition from male to female by

taking female hormones, she has not yet completed the sex reassignment surgery. 

Thus, Etsitty describes herself as a “pre-operative transgendered individual.”

Nearly four years after Etsitty had begun taking female hormones, she

applied for a position as a bus operator with UTA. She was hired and, after

successfully completing a six-week training course, was assigned to a position as

an extra-board operator. As an operator on the extra board, Etsitty was not

assigned to a permanent route or shift. Instead, she would fill in for regular

operators who were on vacation or called in sick. As a result, Etsitty drove many

of UTA’s 115 to 130 routes in the Salt Lake City area over approximately ten

weeks as an extra board operator. While on their routes, UTA employees use

public restrooms.

Throughout her training period at UTA, Etsitty presented herself as a man

and used male restrooms. Soon after being hired, however, she met with her

supervisor, Pat Chatterton, and informed him that she was a transsexual. She

explained that she would begin to appear more as a female at work and that she

would eventually change her sex. Chatterton expressed support for Etsitty and

stated he did not see any problem with her being a transsexual. After this

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meeting, Etsitty began wearing makeup, jewelry, and acrylic nails to work. She

also began using female restrooms while on her route.

Shirley, the operations manager of the UTA division where Etsitty worked,

heard a rumor that there was a male operator who was wearing makeup. She

spoke with Chatterton and he informed her Etsitty was a transsexual and would be

going through a sex change. When Chatterton told her this, Shirley expressed

concern about whether Etsitty would be using a male or female restroom. Shirley

told Chatterton she would speak with Human Resources about whether Etsitty’s

restroom usage would raise any concerns for UTA.

Shirley then called Bruce Cardon, the human resources generalist for

Shirley’s division, and they decided to set up a meeting with Etsitty. At the

meeting, Shirley and Cardon asked Etsitty where she was in the sex change

process and whether she still had male genitalia. Etsitty explained she still had

male genitalia because she did not have the money to complete the sex change

operation. Shirley expressed concern about the possibility of liability for UTA if

a UTA employee with male genitalia was observed using the female restroom. 

Shirley and Cardon also expressed concern that Etsitty would switch back and

forth between using male and female restrooms.

Following their meeting with Etsitty, Shirley and Cardon placed Etsitty on

administrative leave and ultimately terminated her employment. Shirley

explained the reason Etsitty was terminated was the possibility of liability for

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UTA arising from Etsitty’s restroom usage. Cardon similarly explained to Etsitty

that the reason for her termination was UTA’s inability to accommodate her

restroom needs. Shirley felt it was not possible to accommodate Etsitty’s

restroom usage because she typically used public restrooms along her routes

rather than restrooms at the UTA facility. Shirley also testified she did not

believe it was appropriate to inquire into whether people along UTA routes would

be offended if a transsexual with male genitalia were to use the female restrooms. 

On the record of termination, Shirley indicated Etsitty would be eligible for rehire

after completing sex reassignment surgery. At the time of the termination, UTA

had received no complaints about Etsitty’s performance, appearance, or restroom

usage.

Etsitty filed suit against UTA and Shirley, alleging they had engaged in

unlawful gender discrimination, in violation of Title VII and the Equal Protection

Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. She claimed she was terminated because

she was a transsexual and because she failed to conform to UTA’s expectations of

stereotypical male behavior. The defendants filed a motion for summary

judgment, arguing transsexuals are not a protected class under Title VII or the

Equal Protection Clause and that Etsitty was not terminated for failing to conform

to male stereotypes. The district court granted the motion. In doing so, it agreed

transsexuals are not a protected class and concluded there was no evidence that

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Etsitty contends it is unnecessary for this court to engage in the McDonnell 1

Douglas analysis because it is “undisputed” that UTA had a discriminatory

motive. See Heim v. Utah, 8 F.3d 1541, 1546 (10th Cir. 1993) (noting McDonnell

Douglas burden-shifting analysis is inapplicable where there is direct evidence of

discrimination). When viewed in context, however, the evidence directly

supports only the conclusion that Etsitty was terminated because of UTA’s

concerns regarding her restroom usage, a motive which is not discriminatory for

(continued...)

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Etsitty was terminated for any reason other than Shirley’s stated concern about

Etsitty’s restroom usage.

III. Analysis

This court reviews a district court’s decision to grant summary judgment de

novo. Green v. New Mexico, 420 F.3d 1189, 1192 (10th Cir. 2005). Summary

judgment is appropriate “if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories,

and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no

genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a

judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c). In making the determination

of whether summary judgment was appropriate, this court views all the evidence

and draws all reasonable inferences in favor of the nonmoving party. Green, 420

F.3d at 1192. 

A. Title VII

In the Title VII context, this court applies the three-part burden-shifting

framework established in McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792,

802-05 (1973). Plotke v. White, 405 F.3d 1092, 1099 (10th Cir. 2005). Under 1

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(...continued) 1

reasons further discussed below. Because Etsitty cannot establish an “existing

policy which itself constitutes discrimination,” her claim of unlawful

discrimination rests on indirect evidence and the McDonnell Douglas analysis

applies. See Jones v. Denver Post Corp., 203 F.3d 748, 752 (10th Cir. 2000)

(quotation omitted).

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this framework, the plaintiff must first establish a prima facie case of prohibited

employment action. Id. If the plaintiff does so, the burden shifts to the employer

to articulate a “legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for its adverse employment

action.” Id. (quotations omitted). If the employer satisfies this burden, “summary

judgment is warranted unless the employee can show there is a genuine issue of

material fact as to whether the proffered reasons are pretextual.” Id. Because this

court concludes transsexuals are not a protected class under Title VII and because

Etsitty has failed to raise a genuine issue of material fact as to whether UTA’s

asserted non-discriminatory reason for her termination is pretextual, this court

concludes the district court properly granted summary judgment on Etsitty’s Title

VII claims.

1. Prima Facie Claim

Title VII provides that “[i]t shall be an unlawful employment practice for

an employer . . . to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against

any individual . . . because of such individual’s . . . sex.” 42 U.S.C. § 2000e2(a)(1). While Title VII is a remedial statute which should be liberally construed,

see Jackson v. Cont’l Cargo-Denver, 183 F.3d 1186, 1189 (10th Cir. 1999), it

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should not be treated as a “general civility code” and should be “directed only at

discrimination because of sex.” Oncale v. Sundown Offshore Servs., Inc., 523

U.S. 75, 80 (1998). Thus, the threshold question in this case is whether Etsitty’s

claim can properly be construed as a claim that she was terminated or

discriminated against “because of sex.” If it cannot, as UTA argues and the

district court held, Etsitty has not presented an actionable legal claim under Title

VII and summary judgment was properly granted. The question of whether, and

to what extent, a transsexual may claim protection from discrimination under

Title VII is a question this court has not previously addressed.

On appeal, Etsitty presents two separate legal theories in support of her

contention that she was discriminated against because of sex in violation of Title

VII. First, she argues discrimination based on an individual’s identity as a

transsexual is literally discrimination because of sex and that transsexuals are

therefore a protected class under Title VII as transsexuals. Alternatively, she

argues that even if Title VII does not prohibit discrimination on the basis of a

person’s transsexuality, she is nevertheless entitled to protection under Title VII

because she was discriminated against for failing to conform to sex stereotypes. 

See Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins, 490 U.S. 228, 250 (1989) (holding that Title VI

protected a woman who failed to conform to social expectations concerning how a

woman should look and behave, establishing that Title VII’s reference to “sex”

encompasses both the biological differences between men and women and gender

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discriminations, i.e., discrimination based on a failure to conform to stereotypical

gender norms).

a. Transsexuals as a Protected Class

Etsitty first argues she is protected under Title VII from discrimination

based on her status as a transsexual. She argues that because a person’s identity

as a transsexual is directly connected to the sex organs she possesses,

discrimination on this basis must constitute discrimination because of sex. 

Although this court has not previously considered whether transsexuals are

a protected class under Title VII, other circuits to specifically address the issue

have consistently held they are not. See Ulane v. E. Airlines, Inc., 742 F.2d 1081,

1084 (7th Cir. 1984); Sommers v. Budget Mktg., Inc., 667 F.2d 748, 749-50 (8th

Cir. 1982); Holloway v. Arthur Andersen & Co., 566 F.2d 659, 662-63 (9th Cir.

1977). In Ulane, the Seventh Circuit explained that the definition of sex should

be given its “common and traditional interpretation” for purposes of interpreting

Title VII. 742 F.2d at 1086. Based on this traditional definition, the court held

the statute’s prohibition on sex discrimination means only that it is “unlawful to

discriminate against women because they are women and men because they are

men.” Id. at 1085. Because the plaintiff in Ulane could show only that she was

discriminated against as a transsexual, rather than as a woman or a man, the court

concluded Title VII could provide no protection. Id. at 1086-87. 

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This court agrees with Ulane and the vast majority of federal courts to have

addressed this issue and concludes discrimination against a transsexual based on

the person’s status as a transsexual is not discrimination because of sex under

Title VII. In reaching this conclusion, this court recognizes it is the plain

language of the statute and not the primary intent of Congress that guides our

interpretation of Title VII. See Oncale, 523 U.S. at 79 (“[S]tatutory prohibitions

often go beyond the principal evil to cover reasonably comparable evils, and it is

ultimately the provisions of our laws rather than the principal concerns of our

legislators by which we are governed.”). Nevertheless, there is nothing in the

record to support the conclusion that the plain meaning of “sex” encompasses

anything more than male and female. In light of the traditional binary conception

of sex, transsexuals may not claim protection under Title VII from discrimination

based solely on their status as a transsexual. Rather, like all other employees,

such protection extends to transsexual employees only if they are discriminated

against because they are male or because they are female.

While Etsitty argues for a more expansive interpretation of sex that would

include transsexuals as a protected class, she acknowledges that few courts have

been willing to adopt such an interpretation. Even the Sixth Circuit, which

extended protection to transsexuals under the Price-Waterhouse theory discussed

below, explained that an individual’s status as a transsexual should be irrelevant

to the availability of Title VII protection. Smith v. City of Salem, 378 F.3d 566,

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574 (6th Cir. 2004). Further, this court has explicitly declined to extend Title VII

protections to discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation. See Medina

v. Income Support Div., 413 F.3d 1131, 1135 (10th Cir. 2005). Although there is

certainly a distinction between a class delineated by sexual orientation and a class

delineated by sexual identity, Medina nevertheless demonstrates this court’s

reluctance to expand the traditional definition of sex in the Title VII context. 

Scientific research may someday cause a shift in the plain meaning of the

term “sex” so that it extends beyond the two starkly defined categories of male

and female. See Schroer v. Billington, 424 F. Supp. 2d 203, 212-13 & n.5

(D.D.C. 2006) (noting “complexities stem[ming] from real variations in how the

different components of biological sexuality . . . interact with each other, and in

turn, with social psychological, and legal conceptions of gender”); cf. Brown v.

Zavaras, 63 F.3d 967, 971 (10th Cir. 1995) (stating that the possibility that sexual

identity may be biological suggests reevaluating whether transsexuals are a

protected class for purposes of the Equal Protection Clause). At this point in time

and with the record and arguments before this court, however, we conclude

discrimination against a transsexual because she is a transsexual is not

“discrimination because of sex.” Therefore, transsexuals are not a protected class

under Title VII and Etsitty cannot satisfy her prima facie burden on the basis of

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This court is aware of the difficulties and marginalization transsexuals 2

may be subject to in the workplace. The conclusion that transsexuals are not

protected under Title VII as transsexuals should not be read to allow employers

to deny transsexual employees the legal protection other employees enjoy merely

by labeling them as transsexuals. See Smith v. City of Salem, 378 F.3d 566, 575

(6th Cir. 2004) (“Sex stereotyping based on a person’s gender non-conforming

behavior is impermissible discrimination, irrespective of the cause of that

behavior; a label, such as ‘transsexual,’ is not fatal to a sex discrimination claim

where the victim has suffered discrimination because of his or her gender nonconformity.”). If transsexuals are to receive legal protection apart from their

status as male or female, however, such protection must come from Congress and

not the courts. See Ulane v. E. Airlines, 742 F.2d 1081, 1087 (“[I]f the term ‘sex’

as it is used in Title VII is to mean more than biological male or biological

female, the new definition must come from Congress.”).

Although Etsitty identifies herself as a woman, her Price Waterhouse 3

claim is based solely on her status as a biological male. Etsitty does not claim

protection under Title VII as a woman who fails to conform to social stereotypes

about how a woman should act and appear.

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her status as a transsexual. See Plotke, 405 F.3d at 1099 (requiring plaintiff to 2

show she belonged to a protected class as part of her prima facie showing).

b. Price Waterhouse Theory

Etsitty next argues that even if transsexuals are not entitled to protection

under Title VII as transsexuals, she is nevertheless entitled to protection as a

biological male who was discriminated against for failing to conform to social

stereotypes about how a man should act and appear. She argues that although 3

courts have previously declined to extend Title VII protection to transsexuals

based on a narrow interpretation of “sex,” this approach has been supplanted by

the more recent rationale of Price Waterhouse. Etsitty contends that after Price

Waterhouse, an employer’s discrimination against an employee based on the

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employee’s failure to conform to stereotypical gender norms is discrimination

“because of sex” and may provide a basis for an actionable Title VII claim.

In Price Waterhouse, the plaintiff was a woman who was denied

partnership in an accounting firm at least in part because she was “macho,”

“somewhat masculine,” and “overcompensated for being a woman.” 490 U.S. at

235 (quotations omitted). One partner advised her she could improve her chances

for partnership if she would “walk more femininely, talk more femininely, dress

more femininely, wear make-up, have her hair styled, and wear jewelry.” Id.

(quotation omitted). In concluding the plaintiff had met her burden of

establishing gender played a motivating part in the employment decision, a

plurality of the court explained that “an employer who acts on the basis of a belief

that a woman cannot be aggressive, or that she must not be, has acted on the basis

of gender.” Id. at 250; see also id. at 272-73 (O’Connor, J., concurring in the

judgment) (shifting burden to employer where plaintiff established her failure to

conform to stereotypes was a substantial factor in the employment decision). The

court stated that “we are beyond the day when an employer could evaluate

employees by assuming or insisting that they matched the stereotype associated

with their group.” Id. at 251.

A number of courts have relied on Price Waterhouse to expressly recognize

a Title VII cause of action for discrimination based on an employee’s failure to

conform to stereotypical gender norms. See, e.g., Bibby v. Philadelphia Coca

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Cola Bottling Co., 260 F.3d 257, 262-64 (3d Cir. 2001); Nichols v. Azteca Rest.

Enters., 256 F.3d 864, 874-75 (9th Cir. 2001); Higgins v. New Balance Athletic

Shoe, Inc., 194 F.3d 252, 261 n.4 (1st Cir. 1999); Doe by Doe v. City of

Belleville, 119 F.3d 563, 580-81 (7th Cir. 1997), vacated on other grounds, 523

U.S. 1001 (1998). In fact, the Sixth Circuit recently relied on Price Waterhouse

to recognize a cause of action for a transsexual claiming protection under Title

VII. See Smith, 378 F.3d at 572-75; Barnes v. City of Cincinnati, 401 F.3d 729,

737 (6th Cir. 2005). In so holding, the court explained that just as an employer

who discriminates against women for not wearing dresses or makeup is engaging

in sex discrimination under the rationale of Price Waterhouse, “employers who

discriminate against men because they do wear dresses and makeup, or otherwise

act femininely, are also engaging in sex discrimination, because the

discrimination would not occur but for the victim’s sex.” Smith, 378 F.3d at 574;

cf. Rosa v. Park W. Bank & Trust Co., 214 F.3d 213, 215-16 (1st Cir. 2000)

(concluding a transsexual could state a claim for sex discrimination under Equal

Credit Opportunity Act by analogizing to Title VII); Schwenck v. Hartford, 204

F.3d 1187, 1201-02 (9th Cir. 2000) (relying on Title VII case law to conclude that

violence against a transsexual was violence because of gender under the Gender

Motivated Violence Act).

This court need not decide whether discrimination based on an employee’s

failure to conform to sex stereotypes always constitutes discrimination “because

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of sex” and we need not decide whether such a claim may extend Title VII

protection to transsexuals who act and appear as a member of the opposite sex. 

Instead, because we conclude Etsitty has not presented a genuine issue of material

fact as to whether UTA’s stated motivation for her termination is pretextual, we

assume, without deciding, that such a claim is available and that Etsitty has

satisfied her prima facie burden. 

2. Legitimate Nondiscriminatory Reason

Assuming Etsitty has established a prima facie case under the Price

Waterhouse theory of gender stereotyping, the burden then shifts to UTA to

articulate a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for Etsitty’s termination. Plotke,

405 F.3d at 1099. At this stage of the McDonnell Douglas framework, UTA does

not “need to litigate the merits of the reasoning, nor does it need to prove that the

reason relied upon was bona fide, nor does it need to prove that the reasoning was

applied in a nondiscriminatory fashion.” EEOC v. Flasher Co., 986 F.2d 1312,

1316 (10th Cir. 1992). Rather, UTA need only “explain its actions against the

plaintiff in terms that are not facially prohibited by Title VII.” Jones v. Denver

Post Corp., 203 F.3d 748, 753 (10th Cir. 2000) (quotation omitted). 

UTA has explained its decision to discharge Etsitty was based solely on her

intent to use women’s public restrooms while wearing a UTA uniform, despite the

fact she still had male genitalia. The record also reveals UTA believed, and

Etsitty has not demonstrated otherwise, that it was not possible to accommodate

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her bathroom usage because UTA drivers typically use public restrooms along

their routes rather than restrooms at the UTA facility. UTA states it was

concerned the use of women’s public restrooms by a biological male could result

in liability for UTA. This court agrees with the district court that such a

motivation constitutes a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for Etsitty’s

termination under Title VII. 

Etsitty argues UTA’s concern regarding which restroom she would use

cannot qualify as a facially non-discriminatory reason because the use of

women’s restrooms is an inherent part of Etsitty’s status as a transsexual and,

thus, an inherent part of her non-conforming gender behavior. Therefore, she

argues, terminating her because she intended to use women’s restrooms is

essentially another way of stating that she was terminated for failing to conform

to sex stereotypes. 

Title VII’s prohibition on sex discrimination, however, does not extend so

far. It may be that use of the women’s restroom is an inherent part of one’s

identity as a male-to-female transsexual and that a prohibition on such use

discriminates on the basis of one’s status as a transsexual. As discussed above,

however, Etsitty may not claim protection under Title VII based upon her

transsexuality per se. Rather, Etsitty’s claim must rest entirely on the Price

Waterhouse theory of protection as a man who fails to conform to sex stereotypes. 

However far Price Waterhouse reaches, this court cannot conclude it requires

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employers to allow biological males to use women’s restrooms. Use of a

restroom designated for the opposite sex does not constitute a mere failure to

conform to sex stereotypes. Cf. Nichols, 256 F.3d at 875 n.7 (explaining that not

all gender-based distinctions are actionable under Title VII and that “there is [no]

violation of Title VII occasioned by reasonable regulations that require male and

female employees to conform to different dress and grooming standards”). 

The critical issue under Title VII “is whether members of one sex are

exposed to disadvantageous terms or conditions of employment to which members

of the other sex are not exposed.” Oncale, 523 U.S. at 80 (quotation omitted). 

Because an employer’s requirement that employees use restrooms matching their

biological sex does not expose biological males to disadvantageous terms and

does not discriminate against employees who fail to conform to gender

stereotypes, UTA’s proffered reason of concern over restroom usage is not

discriminatory on the basis of sex. Thus, it is not “facially prohibited by Title

VII” and may satisfy UTA’s burden on the second part of the McDonnell Douglas

framework. 

3. Pretext

Once UTA has advanced a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for

Etsitty’s termination, the burden shifts back to Etsitty to “show there is a genuine

issue of material fact as to whether the proffered reason[] [is] pretextual.” Plotke,

405 F.3d at 1099. “A plaintiff demonstrates pretext by showing either that a

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discriminatory reason more likely motivated the employer or that the employer’s

proffered explanation is unworthy of credence.” Stinnett v. Safeway, Inc., 337

F.3d 1213, 1218 (10th Cir. 2003) (quotation omitted). Such a showing may be

made by revealing “such weaknesses, implausibilities, inconsistencies,

incoherence, or contradictions, in the employer’s proffered legitimate reasons for

its action that a reasonable factfinder could . . . infer that the employer did not act

for the asserted non-discriminatory reasons.” Jencks v. Modern Woodmen of Am.,

479 F.3d 1261, 1267 (10th Cir. 2007) (quotation omitted). Although this court

must resolve all doubts in Etsitty’s favor, “[m]ere conjecture that the employer’s

explanation is pretext is insufficient to defeat summary judgment.” Anderson v.

Coors Brewing Co., 181 F.3d 1171, 1179 (10th Cir. 1999).

In support of Etsitty’s contention that she was terminated for failing to

conform to gender stereotypes and not because of UTA’s concern regarding her

restroom usage, she relies primarily on the testimony of Shirley and Cardon. 

Specifically, she points to Shirley’s deposition testimony in which she stated,

“We both felt that there was an image issue out there for us, that we could have a

problem with having someone who, even though his appearance may look female,

he’s still a male because he still had a penis.” Additionally, Cardon testified,

“We have expectations of operators and how they appear to the public. . . . [I]f

we see something that is considered radical or could be interpreted by the public

as being inappropriate, we talk to the operators about that and expect them to

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have a professional appearance.” Etsitty argues these statements provide

sufficient evidence to allow a rational jury to conclude she was terminated

because she was a biological male who did not act and appear as UTA believed a

man should.

If these statements stood alone, they may constitute sufficient evidence of

pretext to preclude summary judgment. A complete review of the deposition

testimony, however, indicates otherwise. Although the specific statements cited

by Etsitty address Etsitty’s appearance, they fall within the larger context of an

explanation of UTA’s concerns regarding Etsitty’s restroom usage. Immediately

after Shirley mentions Etsitty’s appearance, she explains the problem with this

appearance is that she may not be able to find a unisex bathroom on the route and

that liability may arise if Etsitty was using female restrooms. When Cardon was

asked what he found unprofessional about Etsitty’s appearance, he similarly

responded with concerns about her restroom usage. Thus, the isolated and

tangential comments about Etsitty’s appearance are insufficient to alone permit an

inference of pretext. Instead, the testimony of Shirley and Cardon, viewed in its

entirety and in context, provides further support for UTA’s assertion that Etsitty

was terminated not because she failed to conform to stereotypes about how a man

should act and appear, but because she was a biological male who intended to use

women’s public restrooms. 

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In addition to the statements made by Shirley and Cardon, Etsitty argues

UTA’s asserted reason for her termination must be pretextual because UTA had

no reason to be concerned regarding her use of women’s restrooms. In support of

this claim, Etsitty makes the following arguments: (1) UTA could not be subject

to liability, as a matter of law, for allowing a male-to-female transsexual

employee to use women’s restrooms; (2) UTA had received no complaints

regarding Etsitty’s restroom usage; (3) UTA made no attempt to investigate

whether there were unisex restrooms available; and (4) because Etsitty looked and

acted like a woman, no one would know she was not biologically female and

therefore could not take offense to her use of women’s restrooms.

None of the arguments raised by Etsitty is sufficient to raise a genuine

issue as to whether UTA’s asserted concern regarding her use of the women’s

restrooms is pretext. Although Etsitty states in her brief that there is no evidence

she intended to use female restrooms, she admitted at oral argument that she was

required to use female restrooms and that she informed Shirley of this at their

meeting prior to her termination. Thus, UTA’s belief that Etsitty intended to use

female restrooms was well-grounded. While Etsitty contends this fact should not

have given rise to her termination, her argument is more akin to a challenge to

UTA’s business judgment than a challenge to its actual motivation. Nevertheless,

“[t]he relevant inquiry is not whether [the defendant’s] proffered reasons were

wise, fair or correct, but whether [it] honestly believed those reasons and acted in

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good faith upon those beliefs.” Exum v. United States Olympic Comm., 389 F.3d

1130, 1138 (10th Cir. 2004) (quotation omitted) (alterations in original). 

While this court may disagree with UTA that a male-to-female

transsexual’s intent to use women’s restrooms should be grounds for termination

before complaints have arisen, there is insufficient evidence to permit an

inference that UTA did not actually terminate Etsitty for this reason. To the

contrary, all of the evidence suggests UTA did in fact terminate Etsitty because of

its concerns about her restroom usage. Both at the time of Etsitty’s termination

and in subsequent deposition testimony, Shirley consistently explained the

termination decision in terms of her concerns regarding liability for UTA and the

inability of UTA to accommodate Etsitty’s restroom needs. Although Shirley and

Cardon specifically asked Etsitty whether she possessed male genitalia, such an

inquiry is not the “smoking gun” Etsitty suggests. Rather, the record is clear that

this inquiry was only relevant to UTA’s evaluation of whether Etsitty’s restroom

usage could become a problem.

UTA’s legitimate explanation is not made implausible by any of the

circumstantial evidence relied on by Etsitty in her brief. The fact UTA had not

yet received complaints about Etsitty’s restroom usage at the time of the

termination does not mean UTA could not have been concerned about such

complaints arising in the future, especially where Etsitty had only recently begun

using the women’s restroom. Similarly, Etsitty has pointed to nothing in the

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record to indicate the feasibility of an investigation into the availability of unisex

restrooms along each of UTA’s routes or the likelihood complaints would arise. 

Therefore, in this case, Shirley’s failure to conduct such an investigation has

little, if any, bearing on the veracity of her stated concern.

Etsitty’s reliance on Cruzan v. Special School District #1 to call into

question UTA’s asserted motivation is also misplaced. 294 F.3d 981 (8th Cir.

2002). In Cruzan, the Eighth Circuit held that a male-to-female transsexual’s use

of the women’s employee restroom does not create a hostile work environment for

purposes of a Title VII sexual harassment claim. Id. at 984. Even if such a rule

were to be adopted in this circuit and applied to actions arising outside the

employment context, however, it would say nothing about whether UTA was

nevertheless genuinely concerned about the possibility of liability and public

complaints. The question of whether UTA was legally correct about the merits of

such potential lawsuits is irrelevant. See Exum, 389 F.3d at 1137 (“To show

pretext, the plaintiff must call into question the honesty or good faith of the

[employer].”)

Finally, Etsitty argues that because UTA typically resolves complaints

about its employees’ restroom usage simply by requiring the employees to stop

using the restroom for which the complaint was received, Etsitty was treated

differently than similarly situated employees. See Kendrick v. Penske Transp.

Servs., Inc., 220 F.3d 1220, 1232 (10th Cir. 2000) (noting plaintiff may show

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pretext “by providing evidence that he was treated differently from other

similarly-situated, nonprotected employees”). The prior complaints received by

UTA, however, involved problems with the cleanliness of the restrooms and with

UTA employees congregating around a hotel swimming pool. An employee’s use

of bathrooms designated for the opposite sex is sufficiently different from these

prior problems as to make UTA’s treatment of restroom complaints in the past of

little significance to the question of pretext in the case at bar.

Thus, there is no evidence in the record of any “weaknesses,

implausibilities, inconsistencies, incoherence, or contradictions” in UTA’s

asserted legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for Etsitty’s termination. Jencks,

479 F.3d at 1267 (quotation omitted). Etsitty has therefore failed to raise a

genuine issue as to whether UTA’s proffered reason is pretextual and the district

court properly granted summary judgment on Etsitty’s Title VII claim. 

B. Equal Protection 

With respect to Etsitty’s Equal Protection claims brought pursuant to §

1983, she makes no arguments aside from her Title VII claim that she was

discriminated against because of sex. Instead, she simply makes the conclusory

statement that the elements of a disparate treatment claim are the same whether

the claim is brought under § 1983 or Title VII. See Maldonado v. City of Altus,

433 F.3d 1294, 1307 (10th Cir. 2006), overruled on other grounds, Burlington N.

& Santa Fe Ry. Co. v. White, 126 S.Ct. 2405, 2414-15 (2006) (“In

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disparate-treatment discrimination suits, the elements of a plaintiff's case are the

same whether that case is brought under §§ 1981 or 1983 or Title VII.” (quotation

and alterations omitted)). Because Etsitty does not argue there was a violation of

the Equal Protection Clause separate from her Title VII sex discrimination claim,

her Equal Protection claim fails for the same reasons discussed above. Cf. Brown,

63 F.3d at 971 (holding transsexual plaintiff was not a member of a protected

class for purposes of the Equal Protection Clause).

IV. Conclusion

For the foregoing reasons, this court affirms the district court’s grant of

summary judgment to the defendants.

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