The documents were delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so Hamilton also provided the department with the tracking number for his request. The department asked for his complete Army medical record, which Hamilton requested from the National Personnel Records Center for military personnel, according to his complaint.
Hamilton provided part of the medical discharge records signed by himself, his commanding officer and a physician stating why he was discharged. The psychologist, who is named in Hamilton’s complaint, has not returned a request for comment.Īs part of standard procedure, the department asked Hamilton for information about his employment over the last 10 years.Īfter the psychological evaluation, Hamilton said the department asked for documentation outside of the standard 10-year window related to his honorable discharge from the Army 12 years ago due to medical issues, according to his EEOC complaint. it doesn't pertain to the duties of being a police officer at all,” Hamilton said. “I felt like it was kind of weird because. Hamilton alleged that the psychologist who did his evaluation asked him questions like, “What were the names of your doctors that performed your surgery? How does your family feel about you being transgender? How does your wife feel about you being transgender?” You should be doing both, because you're going to have people from the community working or at least trying to get jobs at your agency.” ‘That’s not equal protection of the law’ “We're starting to see agencies that are developing transgender interaction policies with the public, but they're not developing policies like this for their employees, and we find that ridiculous. “It's an ongoing issue that we have to address as a society,” Callahan said of the hiring discrimination trans law enforcement officers face.
This has caused some transgender officers - many of whom are trying to address inequities from within - to face pressure from both sides. Even if they can, many can’t afford to take legal action.Ĭomplicating matters is the historically fraught relationship between law enforcement and the LGBTQ community. But outside of that, it’s incredibly difficult for trans people to prove they’ve faced hiring discrimination.
TCOPS is trying to do its part by providing training and policy templates to departments in the hopes that this educational material can help address the biases and misinformation that lead to discrimination. Trans people face disproportionate employment discrimination generally, and she said law enforcement, which she described as a relatively conservative field, is no exception. Hamilton’s experience isn’t unique, said Julie Callahan, a former law enforcement officer in San Jose, California, and the founder of the Transgender Community of Police and Sheriffs, a peer support group for trans law enforcement officers. The department declined additional comment. “The decision not to move forward with the applicant in question did not involve any discrimination against the individual as a member of a protected group,” the statement read in full. The New Orleans Police Department issued a statement in May. His attorney, Chelsea Cusimano, said the EEOC has since opened an investigation. In May, Hamilton filed a federal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging hiring discrimination. Image: Britton Hamilton (Britton Hamilton)