Missouri Human Rights Act: Does it protect sexual orientation or gender identity in the workplace?
The Missouri Courts appear to be split on whether the Missouri Human Rights Act extends its protections to cover gender identity and sexual orientation. Last week, the ACLU filed a complaint against the Missouri Human Rights Commission for dismissing a claim by a transgender man by stating that its jurisdiction did not extend to protecting sexual orientation. https://www.aclu-mo.org/sites/default/files/field_documents/binder1.pdf. The case arises out from a transgender male who claimed that he lost his job at Dollar General because of his transgender identity. The Missouri Human Rights Commission dismissed the claim and stated that its jurisdiction did not extend to gender identity.
The Missouri Supreme Court has also heard two cases that held the MHRA did not extend to gender identity and is expected to rule in the coming months.