Pizzeria will pay trans man $25,000 after brutal harassment forced him to quit

A New York pizzeria has agreed to pay $25,000 to a trans former employee who says he was repeatedly harrassed while working there.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sued upstate New York’s T.C. Wheelers Bar & Pizzeria on behalf of trans man Quinn Gambino, who was a cook at the restaurant.

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A March 2023 press release from the EEOC detailed Gambino’s allegations of being repeatedly misgendered by the restaurant owners, who he said also did not stand up for him when employees and customers did the same.

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Gambino also said the owners told him he “wasn’t a real man” and asked if he had “female parts.” Gambino alleged similar harassment from other employees and said he was even told being transgender was the same as being a pedophile.

“Eventually, Gambino had no choice but to resign to escape the harassment,” the EEOC stated, claiming that the restaurant’s conduct was in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County affirmed that anti-LGBTQ+ conduct is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by the Civil Rights Act.

Despite agreeing to the $25,000 settlement, T.C. Wheelers continues to deny any wrongdoing, according to Advocate.

As part of the settlement, the restaurant has also agreed to require all owners and employees to undergo training on federal anti-discrimination employment laws. T.C. Wheelers has also hired an independent human resources monitor to investigate employee complaints and report annually to the EEOC to ensure the restaurant is complying with the terms of the settlement.

“We appreciate T.C. Wheeler’s agreement to settle this lawsuit and make proactive changes,” said Jeffrey Burstein, regional attorney for the EEOC’s New York District Office, “and we are proud to have obtained an effective resolution that compensates Gambino for what he endured and helps ensure that other transgender employees will be treated fairly in the future.”

“The EEOC considers protecting members of the LGBTQIA+ community to be an important enforcement priority,” added EEOC New York District Director Yaw Gyebi. “We will continue to assure that transgender employees receive the full benefit of federal anti-discrimination laws in all industries.”

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