Latest news with #GerikaMudra
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Lesbian teen says Buffalo Wild Wings server forced her to prove gender in restroom
A young biracial lesbian teenager who claims a server at a Buffalo Wild Wings forced her to prove her gender while in the women's bathroom earlier this year has filed a charge of discrimination against the popular chain restaurant, according to the nonprofit advocacy group Gender Justice. The incident unfolded in April when 18-year-old Gerika Mudra, a high-school student who is Black and Caucasian, was reportedly followed into the restroom at a Buffalo Wild Wings in Owatonna, Minnesota, a town about an hour south of Minneapolis. The gender-equality advocacy group, which filed the discrimination charge on behalf of the 18-year-old, alleges the server banged on the door of the stall Mudra was in and said, 'This is a woman's restroom. The man needs to get out of here.' Mudra, who is not transgender, claims she came out of the stall and told the server that she was a female, but was again told that she needed to get out of the restroom immediately. 'The employee blocked her from leaving until Mudra unzipped her hoodie to show she had breasts,' the organization said in a news release. 'Only then did the server relent.' The high school student, according to NBC News, said she has experienced similar issues in women's restrooms, though she added that when she says she's female, she's generally left alone. The encounter, she said, made her extremely uncomfortable and, like anyone else, she just wanted to be able to use a restroom in peace. 'After that, I just don't like going to public restrooms. I just hold it in,' she explained. The discrimination charge was filed with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, with Gender Justice arguing the incident violated the state's Human Rights Act, which provides protections against gender identity and sexual orientation-based discrimination among other statuses. Big Bear shop owner accused of psychedelic mushroom operation out of store Minnesota is one of 21 states, as well as Washington D.C., that prohibit discrimination in public accommodations based on gender identity and sexual orientation. 'We know Gerika was targeted because of how she looks, Shauna Otterness, the teen's stepmother, said. 'She didn't do anything wrong. She just didn't fit what that server thought a girl should look like. This shouldn't be normal. We can do better, and we have to.' KTLA has reached out to Inspire Brands, which represents the restaurant chain, for comment and is awaiting a response. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
Minnesota teen files complaint against Buffalo Wild Wings, says employee harrassed her in bathroom over gender
A young woman says a Buffalo Wild Wings employee harassed her in the bathroom of an Owatonna, Minnesota, restaurant. Eighteen-year-old Gerika Mudra says this incident happened back in April. She says she felt uncomfortable the moment she walked in. The situation escalated inside the women's restroom when a female server allegedly banged on the stall door and shouted at Mudra. "She came in yelling, 'This is a women's bathroom, the man has to get out,'" said Mudra in a pre-recorded interview with her attorneys. "I was just like, 'I am a girl,' and she was like, 'You need to get out now.' So, I showed her like, I am a girl, and she just walked out and didn't even apologize or anything." Desperate to end the harassment, Mudra felt forced to show she has breasts. Now, with the help of Gender Justice, a nonprofit firm, Mudra filed a discrimination complaint with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights against the national restaurant chain. Sara Jane Baldwin represents Mudra and says they are not just asking for accountability and an apology but demanding change to policies. "See them commit to doing better, commit to creating a culture and workplace where people aren't subject to this harassment and discrimination," Baldwin said. State law prohibits discrimination in public services, but advocates say incidents like this are happening more often, and they're urging people to get to safety first and to reach out for help. "Sharing these stories is important. People hear this, not abstract concerns but real concerns happening in our communities," said Kat Rohn, OutFront Minnesota Executive Director. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights declined to comment on the complaint because state law prohibits it from discussing open cases. WCCO reached out to Buffalo Wild Wings but has not heard back.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Teen Claims Buffalo Wild Wings Server Followed Her into the Bathroom and Forced Her to 'Prove' She's a Girl
Gerika Mudra, an 18-year-old high school student in Minnesota, has since filed a charge of discrimination against the restaurant NEED TO KNOW Gerika Mudra, an 18-year-old high schoolher, is fighting back after she says a Buffalo Wild Wings employee harassed her while she was in the women's bathroom On Aug. 12, Gender Justice said it filed a charge of discrimination with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights on the teen's behalf 'We know Gerika was targeted because of how she looks,' the girl's stepmom said A high school student is fighting back after a Buffalo Wild Wings employee allegedly followed her into the bathroom and wouldn't stop harassing her until the teen ended up unzipping her hoodie to "prove" she's a girl. On Tuesday, Aug. 12, Gender Justice filed a charge of discrimination with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) on behalf of 18-year-old high schooler Gerika Mudra, according to a press release from the nonprofit. Mudra, who is a biracial lesbian, according to NBC News, was eating at a Buffalo Wild Wings in Owatonna when she got up to use the bathroom. In a video released by Gender Justice, the teen said the server followed her into the bathroom and "came in yelling, 'This is a women's restroom, the man needs to get out.' " Mudra, who said this wasn't "the first time something like this happened" to her, claims that she told the server "I am a lady," but that the server responded, "You have to get out now." "I didn't know what to do," the teen said, alleging that she eventually unzipped her sweatshirt to show that she had breasts. Afterwards, the teen, who had a shirt underneath her hoodie, claimed the server "just walked out, didn't even apologize or anything." Buffalo Wild Wings did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Now, Mudra says she won't return to the Buffalo Wild Wings location and that she no longer feels comfortable using public bathrooms in general. 'We know Gerika was targeted because of how she looks,' said Shauna Otterness, Mudra's stepmom. 'She didn't do anything wrong. She just didn't fit what that server thought a girl should look like,' Otterness continued. '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.' The legacy advocacy group went on to note that Mudra's experience "reflects a broader climate of fear and suspicion aimed at anyone who doesn't conform to narrow expectations of what girls and women 'should' look like." "While she is not transgender, the scrutiny and harassment she faced is unfortunately all too familiar to trans and gender expansive people, including masculine presenting queer women," they added. 'What happened to Gerika Mudra was not just wrong, it was unlawful,' added Sara Jane Baldwin, senior staff attorney at Gender Justice. '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." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In filing a charge of discrimination with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Mudra and her family hope to raise awareness about the agency and its role in protecting residents. 'The Minnesota Human Rights Act is clear: businesses have a legal duty to protect their customers from harassment and discrimination,' said Baldwin. 'That means providing staff with training, creating clear policies, and creating a culture that ensures every person is treated with respect and dignity. What happened to Gerika is exactly the kind of harm our laws are meant to prevent, and it's time businesses take those responsibilities seriously.' Mudra said she also wants others who have experienced harassment to know they aren't alone. 'It's okay [for them] to stick up for themselves, and be okay with who they are,' she said. Read the original article on People
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Teen left outraged after Buffalo Wild Wings staffer 'followed her into women's bathroom and demanded proof she's a girl'
A Minnesota teenager has filed a discrimination complaint against a Buffalo Wild Wings after an employee forced her to show her breasts to prove she was a girl inside the bathroom. Gerika Mudra, 18, had been enjoying an outing with her friend at the Owatonna location in April when she got up to use the restroom. She never expected to be followed into the women's room by an employee, who began banging on the stall door and saying: 'This is a women's restroom. The man needs to get out of here.' Mudra, a biracial lesbian, is a cis-gendered woman. After telling the employee she was a 'lady,' the worker demanded she lift up her shirt and 'prove' she was female. The employee blocked the high schooler from leaving the restroom until the teen unzipped her hoodie and showed her breasts, Gender Justice, an organization that filed a discrimination complaint on Mudra's behalf, said. 'What happened to Gerika Mudra was not just wrong, it was unlawful,' staff attorney, Sara Jane Baldwin, said in a statement. '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.' After showing her chest, Mudra was allowed to leave the bathroom by the employee. 'She just rolled her eyes and walked away,' Mudra told The Minnesota Star Tribune. 'She didn't even say sorry.' Prior to the bathroom visit, the teen had noticed the waitress was acting weird, claiming she was cheerfully telling other patrons 'Happy Easter,' while shooting them 'dirty looks' and 'whispering' about her and her friend. 'Because she didn't fit someone else's idea of what a girl should look like, she was treated as suspicious,' Gender Justice Executive Director, Megan Peterson, told The Tribune. Although Mudra is not transgender, nearly a third of LGBT+ people have reported being harassed while using the restroom. 'What if Gerika had been a trans person?' Peterson questioned. 'Would this story have ended differently? That's the terrifying reality too many trans people live with every day.' The organization filed a discrimination complaint on Mudra's behalf with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, requesting a formal apology from the restaurant and better training for its employees. The state law states that businesses have a 'legal duty to protect their customers from harassment and discrimination,' Baldwin said. 'That means providing staff with training, creating clear policies, and creating a culture that ensures every person is treated with respect and dignity. 'What happened to Gerika is exactly the kind of harm our laws are meant to prevent, and it's time businesses take those responsibilities seriously,' she said. Mudra's stepmother, Shauna Otterness was 'enraged' about the incident and accused the restaurant of 'humiliating' her daughter. The experience left the teen scared, who said: 'I will definitely never go back there.' It wasn't the first time the androgynous teen had been mistaken for a man, but she claimed it was the 'worst time.' 'She was mad, screaming. She made me feel very uncomfortable,' Mudra said of the staff member. Now, the teen avoids using the restaurant in public and often opts to hold it in to avoid similar situations. 'After that, I just don't like going in public bathrooms. I just hold it in... I want to be able to use the bathroom in peace.' Her stepmother said that Mudra 'should be able to use the bathroom in peace in any public bathroom without being nervous.'
The Hill
4 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.'
