Latest news with #DepartmentofHumanRights
The Hill
3 days ago
- The Hill
Teen says server demanded proof of gender in restaurant restroom
A Minnesota teenager filed a charge of discrimination Tuesday against a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, accusing a server of following her into the women's restroom and demanding she 'prove' she was a girl. Gerika Mudra, an 18-year-old high school student, was dining with a friend at the chain restaurant's Owatonna, Minn., location in late April when a female server followed her into the bathroom and accused her of being 'a boy,' according to Gender Justice, the Minnesota-based nonprofit that filed the discrimination charge on Mudra's behalf. 'This is a women's restroom. The man needs to get out of here,' the server said while banging on the stall door, according to Gender Justice. The server blocked Mudra from exiting the restroom until she unzipped her hoodie to show that she had breasts. Buffalo Wild Wings did not respond to two emails seeking comment on the incident and the charge of discrimination, which Gender Justice filed with the state's Department of Human Rights. The charge alleges the restaurant violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the nation's strongest state civil rights laws that prohibits discrimination based on characteristics including sexual orientation and gender identity. 'What happened to Gerika Mudra was not just wrong, it was unlawful,' said Sara Jane Baldwin, senior staff attorney at Gender Justice, in a statement on Tuesday. 'Minnesota law protects people from exactly this kind of discrimination in public spaces. No one should be harassed, humiliated, or forced to prove themselves just to use the bathroom.' In a video released by Gender Justice, Mudra, who is biracial and not transgender, said this was not the first time she has been questioned about her gender in a public restroom. 'This wasn't the first time this has happened, but this is, like, the worst time,' she said. 'After that, I just don't like going in public bathrooms. Like, I just hold it in. I just keep thinking, 'I'm gonna keep getting harassed like this.'' Mudra's stepmother, Shauna Otterness, said what happened to Mudra was 'cruel and humiliating' and left her feeling 'enraged.' 'We know Gerika was targeted because of how she looks. She didn't do anything wrong. She just didn't fit what that server thought a girl should look like,' she said in a statement released by Gender Justice. 'I was shocked and heartbroken by how many people shared similar stories after I posted about it online. This shouldn't be normal. We can do better, and we have to.' Nineteen states have laws prohibiting transgender people from using facilities that match their gender identity in K-12 schools, and most also bar trans people from entering restrooms consistent with their gender identity in government-owned buildings, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a nonprofit that tracks LGBTQ laws. A measure to bar trans students from bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity failed to advance in the Minnesota legislature in 2017. 'This kind of gender policing is, unfortunately, nothing new. And yet, in our current climate we have to ask: What if Gerika had been a trans person?' said Megan Peterson, executive director at Gender Justice. 'Would this story have ended differently? That's the terrifying reality too many trans people live with every day.' 'Gerika's story sits at the intersection of anti-LGBTQ+ panic, racism, and rigid gender norms and stereotypes,' Peterson said. 'A growing culture of suspicion and control is targeting trans, gender-nonconforming, and Black girls and women—anyone who doesn't match narrow ideas of how women should look or behave. When people are harassed just for existing, none of us are truly safe.'
Morocco World
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
CNDH, Palestine Liberation Organization Pledge to Deepen Human Rights Cooperation
Morocco's National Human Rights Council (CNDH) and the Palestinian Liberation Organization's (PLO) Department of Human Rights are set to sign a memorandum of understanding, forging a partnership seeking to promote human rights and strengthen civil society engagement. CNDH President Amina Bouayach held talks with a delegation from the Department of Human Rights of the PLO today in Rabat, according to SNRTNews, which noted that this is the first time for CNDH to hold a meeting of this scale with Palestinian actors. The talks convened actors who 'combine both political and civil engagement,' she said, commenting on the quality of dialogue and communication marked during the meeting. She said that the discussion will be concluded with the signing of an MoU between the CNDH and the Palestinian institution, emphasizing that such a collaboration represents an opportunity to engage actively with the issue of human rights as one of the pillars for achieving a just and lasting peace in the region. For his part, Ahmed Said Ahmed Al Tamimi, head of the human rights department at PLO, expressed satisfaction with the meeting and commitment to maintaining regular communication, noting that he and his department aim to benefit from Morocco's experience in promoting human rights. Jamal Al Shobaki, ambassador of the State of Palestine to Morocco, also attended the event, commending CNDH's willingness to share knowledge in the service of the PLO's department. Tags: CNDHhuman rightsMoroccoPalestinePLO
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
From the Archives: April 16 in the Pioneer
Apr. 16—April 16, 2015 — High winds and dry conditions have sparked wildfires in the area, including several within Bemidji city limits. The public has been urged to avoid the area north of Division Street and west of Adams Avenue as flames have engulfed nearly 20 acres, accompanied by wind gusts of 30 mph. April 16, 2000 — Dave Bucher, Bemidji School District's director of education, is retiring after 27 years with the district. After moving to Bemidji from Grand Forks where he was an assistant principal, Bucher served 14 years as the Bemidji High School principal and 13 as the district's director of education. April 16, 1975 — The weight of recent federal human rights legislation descended on Beltrami County officials recently as a state Department of Human Rights official outlined the requirements local governments must meet, including the adoption of an Affirmative Action Plan covering the county's hiring policies. April 16, 1925 — The Christianson Motor Co. moved from its old location on Beltrami Avenue to its new place of business in the old armory on Fourth Street. The building has been remodeled and now boasts a storage room that will hold up to 45 cars, as well as a repair room where autos will be serviced by mechanics.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Yahoo
State seeks to join lawsuit alleging Lakeville drywall company fired employee who reported being raped at Eagan jobsite
A Lakeville drywall company violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act by allowing an employee to sexually harass and rape a co-worker and then fire her after she reported the harassment, a lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit was filed less than two weeks after Norma Izaguirre's former co-worker admitted in court to raping her in a bathroom on May 20, 2021 On Tuesday, the state Department of Human Rights announced that it had filed a motion to join the lawsuit, which was filed last week in Dakota County District Court by rape survivor Norma Izaguirre against her former employer, Absolute Drywall. Attorney General Keith Ellison said a state investigation found the company violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act. 'The State's decision to join my case against Absolute Drywall is an acknowledgment of not only my truth, but also the unacceptable reality that women like me, Latina women, too often face sexual harassment and assault in the construction industry,' Izaguirre said in a statement issued by the Department of Human Rights. Izaguirre, who is represented by the Minneapolis firm Nichols Kaster, filed the four-count lawsuit against Absolute Drywall on Feb. 26, alleging sex discrimination, reprisal, negligent retention and negligent supervision. A judge will decide whether the state can join the lawsuit. The lawsuit came less than two weeks after Izaguirre's attacker, Juan Diego Medina Cisneros, admitted in court to raping her in a bathroom on May 20, 2021, while the two were working for Absolute Drywall at an apartment complex at the Viking Lakes development in Eagan. Dakota County prosecutors charged the 32-year-old male Mexican national in July 2022 by warrant with third-degree criminal sexual conduct and fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct. Izaguirre told Eagan police she believed he fled for Mexico after she reported the assault, the criminal complaint says. In June, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested Cisneros at Gateway International Bridge, between the cities of Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas. He appeared in Dakota County District Court on Feb. 13 and pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sexual conduct after reaching a plea deal that calls for a three-year prison term, a downward departure from state sentencing guidelines. Sentencing is scheduled for July 8. The lawsuit says Izaguirre immigrated to the United States from Mexico in 1997, and moved to Minnesota around 2001. While she was working at Los Grandes Mexican Restaurant in Burnsville in January 2021, Cisneros approached her and struck up a conversation about their employment. Cisneros told Izaguirre that his employer, Absolute Drywall, was looking to hire women, and that she should apply to work with the company, the lawsuit says. She did, and started work as a drywall laborer on Jan. 16, 2021. Cisneros was a crew leader. According to the lawsuit, around early March 2021, Cisneros began making sexually harassing comments to Izaguirre. When they were alone, he would try to touch, hug or grope Izaguirre, who at all times rejected his advances and told him to stop. The lawsuit alleges that when Izaguirre threatened to report Cisneros, he threatened her and said no one would believe her. At least one co-worker witnessed Cisneros groping Izaguirre on multiple occasions. Izaguirre reported Cisneros' sexual harassment and inappropriate touching and aggression to her supervisor, who told her that he would address the issue, the lawsuit says. Absolute Drywall did not investigate Izaguirre's report, the lawsuit alleges, and 'made no effort to address Izaguirre's concerns. Unfortunately, because nothing was done, (Cisneros) continued to escalate his aggressive pursuit of Izaguirre.' Izaguirre reported the sexual assault to St. Paul police in January 2022, according to the criminal complaint. The investigation was referred to the Eagan police in March 2022, and Izaguirre provided a statement to investigators on May 22, 2022. According to the complaint and lawsuit, Izaguirre was on her hands and knees cleaning the job site, when Cisneros came up behind her and aggressively put his arms around her and pushed himself against her. Despite Izaguirre's pleas that he stop, he continued. Cisneros pushed Izaguirre into a shower and raped her. After the assault, Cisneros threatened Izaguirre and said he would harm her if she reported him, the lawsuit and complaint say. Soon thereafter, the lawsuit, says, Izaguirre reported Cisneros' sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior to her supervisor a second time. Although Izaguirre's second report included general reference to Cisneros' inappropriate sexual advances, harassment and touching, the lawsuit continues, 'she did not expressly report the rape. She did not feel comfortable sharing such private, sensitive information with (the supervisor), particularly because he had done nothing after her first report of harassment.' In or around August 2021, Izaguirre reported that Cisneros' sexual harassment and touching a third time, but to a different supervisor over the phone. Shortly thereafter, Izaguirre was at Absolute Drywall's office and asked a human resources employee if there were any updates on the investigation into her report against Cisneros. The employee stated they had not heard about any type of investigation, and that there were no records of her report, the lawsuit says. In the fall of 2021, Izaguirre reported the sexual harassment to the owner of the company. The owner told Izaguirre to stop reporting the harassment or she would be fired, the lawsuit alleges. She was fired in October 2021. Izaguirre filed a charge of discrimination against Absolute Drywall with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights in May 2022. The agency completed its investigation in April 2024 and issued its determination finding probable cause of discrimination. Absolute Drywall appealed the department's determination in June, and that same month the agency affirmed its original probable cause finding against the company. In August, the parties participated in conciliation through the Human Rights department, but were unable to reach resolution. 'To date, Defendant has refused to adopt policies prohibiting sexual harassment, reprisal, or sexual assault,' states the lawsuit, which seeks compensatory and punitive damages, and other damages in an amount to be proven at trial. Crime & Public Safety | Robbinsdale man who said he stabbed St. Paul light-rail rider in self-defense sentenced to probation Crime & Public Safety | St. Paul man admits to throwing fatal punch outside East Side bar Crime & Public Safety | St. Paul man sentenced in 2023 shootout at White Bear Lake bar Crime & Public Safety | St. Paul man charged in fatal stabbing of wife in city's first homicide of 2025 Crime & Public Safety | 'Purely evil': Man sentenced to 40 years in prison for killing, dismembering 2 women The Department of Human Rights says it wants Absolute Drywall to have and enforce anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies and wants to ensure the company's employees, including those who speak Spanish, know about the policies and can easily report sexual harassment, assault and other forms of discrimination. 'The court-ordered changes we're seeking will help women, like Norma, who deserve respect in the workplace,' Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero said in the statement. Minnesota has one of the highest percentages of women working in construction, according to a March report by Labor Finders. However, sexual harassment in the construction industry is prevalent across the U.S. A 2021 report by the Institute for Women's Policy and Research states that nearly one in four women working in construction surveyed said they experience near constant sexual harassment on the job.
