Sacked trans police officer sues US city
Trans woman Francesca Quaranta is suing a Connecticut city for firing her after she came out as trans.
Ms Quaranta worked for the Middletown, Connecticut police force since 2004. She came out as trans in 2012 and then found her coworkers hostile and unhelpful. She says she was subjected to slurs such as “cave man” and “faggot”, misgendered, and accusing of lying about her identity. She decided to take paid leave to facilitate her transition.
Her employers say she was fired for failing a fitness-for-duty test and refusing a further test with a psychologist. They say they had no choice but to fire her after she had exhausted all her leave but still felt unable to return to work.
Mayor Daniel Drew told the Hartford Courant: “She’s blamed everyone in this situation but herself. Her lawsuit is frivolous and her claims are wholly without merit, and it’s unfortunate because we did everything possible to create a welcoming environment for her.”
Ms Quaranta says she was forbidden from wearing earrings, despite them being permitted for other women, and was sent to patrol in remote parts of the city after another officer refused to work with her. She also felt she was being unfairly criticized on trivial matters such as responses to non-emergency calls.
Her lawyer Emanuele Cicchiello said in a statement: “We feel her civil rights were violated. She was a long-term, good-standing police officer, and the second she came out regarding her gender identity, everything changed.
“We believe in the workplace, gender should not be an issue. It should be irrelevant.”
