Attorney General Jeff Sessions formally reversed the federal
government's position on whether transgender workers are
covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, informing all U.S.
Attorneys and heads of all federal agencies that the Department of
Justice (DOJ) no longer believes that the antidiscrimination
statute provides such coverage. The
October 4 memo indicates that, according to the DOJ,
"Title VII's prohibition on sex discrimination encompasses
discrimination between men and women but does not encompass
discrimination based on gender identity per se, including
transgender status."
Background: DOJ And EEOC Had Both Concluded Transgender Status
Covered By Title VII
On December 15, 2014, then-Attorney General Eric Holder issued a
groundbreaking memorandum announcing that the
DOJ would consider adverse employment actions against transgender
individuals to be in violation of federal civil rights laws.
Acknowledging that the federal government's position
