Trans Woman Files Discrimination Suit Against Forever 21

A transgender woman filed a discrimination lawsuit Wednesday against hipster-clothing chain Forever 21, claiming that her bosses at a New York City store location mocked her while transitioning into a woman before firing her with no explanation.

The New York Daily News reports that Alexia Daskalakis, 22, said she was made fun of while working at Forever 21 as a sales associate in Kings Plaza, located in Brooklyn, four years ago. According to court documents, one of Daskalakis' managers told her, "You used to be a hard worker when you were a guy, but not anymore."

"I was devastated. You put all your hard work into working for one company, and they respond by being ruthless," she told the Daily News. "It hurt."

She started working at the popular retailer as Anthony and was eventually promoted to visual merchandiser, where she put up displays in store windows. But things went sour in January 2014 when she told her manager she was transitioning into a woman.

She knew the transition would be hard but Daskalakis says she felt like a female her entire life.

"I wrestled with it," she said. "I work hard. I figured my work ethic could trump any discrimination."

After telling her bosses about her transition, she "began dressing in a more traditionally feminine manner, such as wearing more form-fitting clothing and applying more traditionally feminine makeup."

Daskalakis told the Daily News coworkers and customers were supportive, telling her, "You look great!"

But the suit says Daskalakis' immediate supervisor, Patrick Walmsley, started to treat her with "increasing contempt," yelling at her in front of her coworkers and calling her "useless." After telling her bosses that she was starting hormone treatments, the suit says Forever 21 "decided it knew her gender better than she did."

Walmsley allegedly took issue with the way Daskalakis was dressing and criticized her during an overnight shift one night when the store was closed. The Daily News writes Walmsley "had no problem with other female employees who were dressed exactly the same."

"You're still a male, so you need to abide by the male dress code," Walmsley allegedly told Daskalakis. It is also claimed he called her "disgusting," telling her to put on more clothes on the 90-degree night. He also told her another boss told him that Daskalakis was a "hot mess."

Walmsley allegedly accused Daskalakis of slacking off but she insists she was a hard worker.

She tried to complain to Human Resources but she never heard back from them. Daskalakis said she was fired in January and when she asked for a reason why, she was told to call HR, which never got back to her.

The suit was filed in Brooklyn federal court and seeks unspecific monetary damages.

"The transgender community faces a variety of challenges, and it is disgraceful for employers to create additional hardship by discriminating against employees simply because of how they express and identify their gender," Daskalakis' lawyer, David Gottlieb, said.

Daskalakis told the Daily News she hopes to get justice "for how I was treated."

"People in my position need to find their voice, and customers should know who they're shopping from," she added.