Biden admin. sues Sheetz, claims it disproportionally screens out black, Native job seekers after criminal conviction checks



The administration of President Joe Biden is suing convenience store chain Sheetz and claiming that it disproportionally screens out black, Native American, and multiracial job applicants after criminal conviction checks are conducted.

What are the details?

The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced the lawsuit Thursday, Pittsburgh-based KDKA-TV reported. Sheetz's headquarters is based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, which is about two hours east of Pittsburgh, and its website indicates the chain operates 500 stores in Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, and North Carolina.

The EEOC alleges Sheetz disproportionally screened out applicants of the aforementioned races after background checks were conducted, the station said.

However, KDKA reported that the lawsuit does not allege Sheetz was motivated by race when making hiring decisions.

"Federal law mandates that employment practices causing a disparate impact because of race or other protected classifications must be shown by the employer to be necessary to ensure the safe and efficient performance of the particular jobs at issue," EEOC Regional Attorney Debra M. Lawrence said, according to the station. "Even when such necessity is proven, the practice remains unlawful if there is an alternative practice available that is comparably effective in achieving the employer's goals but causes less discriminatory effect."

More from KDKA:

The alleged conduct, according to the EEOC, violates Title VII which prohibits facially neutral employment practices that "cause a discriminatory impact because of race when those practices are not job-related and consistent with business necessity or where alternative practices with less discriminatory impact are available."

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland following an attempt to reach a pre-litigation settlement.

What did Sheetz have to say?

"Sheetz does not tolerate discrimination of any kind. Diversity and inclusion are essential parts of who we are," the chain's public relations manager, Nick Ruffner, said in a statement, according to the station. "We take these allegations seriously. We have attempted to work with the EEOC for nearly eight years to find common ground and resolve this dispute. We will address the claims in court when the time comes."

Sheetz sued over hiring practices youtu.be

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Transgender woman who wants to leave Ukraine rips country's transphobia, says 'there's no way Ukrainian border people can let me through'



A transgender woman living in Ukraine wants to get out of the country amid the Russian invasion, but Zi Faámelu's passport says "male" — and the 31-year-old noted to CBS News that "there's no way Ukrainian border people can let me through. There's no way."

What are the details?

The Ukraine State Border Guard Service reportedly announced last week that men ages 18 to 60 are prohibited from leaving the country. But Faámelu may not be granted entry into a neighboring country anyway because of the mismatch between Faámelu's legal sex and lived gender, LBGTQNation said.

"This is not a very rainbow-friendly place. ... Lives for trans people are very bleak here," Faámelu noted to CBS News. "If you have a male gender in your passport, they will not let you go abroad. They will not let you through."

The LGBTQ community has become more accepted over the years, but the network said it's more complicated for transgender people.

Demonstrators rally in Mykhailivska Square, Kyiv, capital of Ukraine, during Trans*March 2021 pro-transgender procession. Yuliia Ovsiannikova/Ukrinform/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

LBGTQNation explained it's not easy for transgender Ukrainians to get updated passports, as Human Rights Watch said they're likely still required to undergo psychiatric observation and gender-affirming surgery to update their documents.

“I don’t want to go through that. This is like, humiliating for the world…. I decided to keep my passport, keep male in my passport, and now I cannot leave this country,” Faámelu noted to CBS News. “[It’s] a war within a war, truly.”

'I'm literally scared for my life'

The network said Faámelu — who lives in Kyiv, which has been barraged by Russian military forces — is running out of food and hasn't left home for days.

"A few hours ago I heard bombings and my windows were shaking. ... I'm literally scared for my life," Faámelu added to CBS News.

What's more, Faámelu told the network that transphobia is the norm in the city and in neighboring countries, and fears that if that trying to leave will increase the chances the transgender woman will be treated violently.

"Many people have guns and weapons. ... It can be an excuse for violence," Faámelu told CBS News, adding, "This is a very scary situation."

CBS News added that Faámelu also was a popular contestant on the Ukrainian singing competition show "Star Factory."

Anything else?

Adding to the difficulty are Faámelu's parents, who live in Crimea, the network said — and, according to Faámelu, don't believe Russia has invaded Kyiv: "They are literally brainwashed. The world sees the picture, but they are simply blind in this case. My parents think it's all fake, that we bomb ourselves, that we try to create some drama."

Transgender woman in Ukraine says she's trapped in Kyiv, scared for her life amid Russian invasionyoutu.be

VIDEO: Trans female activist furious at Sonic Drive-In workers who said 'sir' during order — now company is launching investigation



Transgender female activist Eden Torres claimed the "entire staff" at a Sonic Drive-In used the word "sir" during Torres' order — and the activist also complained of being "faced with discrimination" while at the fast-food restaurant, which apparently is in Houston.

What happened?

Torres posted a pair of videos Saturday on Twitter that captured the activist's interaction with what apparently is a management-level employee — and Torres let him have it.

The transgender woman told the manager that "your entire staff has been calling me sir" and asked him, "tell me, what we can do now?"

As the pair argued — Torres behind the wheel of a car, and the manager standing outside — Torres asked the man, "What about me looks like a 'sir' right now?"

Eden Torres at the Sonic Drive-In (Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @edentorres121)

The manager apologized, and Torres explained that Sonic staffers "saw the [masculine] name on my credit card" — which presumably led to them figuring Torres gender is male and them subsequently using the word "sir" during the ordering process.

"They were not being nice people," Torres told the manager, who soon was calling the activist "ma'am."

Torres then told the manager to "tell me what your location has done to be trans-competent because clearly they are not."

The manager didn't appear to understand that Torres was talking about gender identity as opposed to sexuality, as he seemed to tell Torres that there are "gay" workers at his restaurant — and that angered the activist.

"I'm not gay," Torres replied. "We're talking about my gender identity, not my sexuality."

Soon the activist asked the manager, "I would like you to promise me that you will stop treating trans people this way."

Finally, the manager asked Torres, "What are you?" in reference to gender identity, and Torres replied, "Why does it matter?" — and soon after, "What would you assume looking at me?"

The manager replied, "I assume that you are a man." That's when the Torres ended the conversation and the recording.

Here are the videos:

(Video part 2: #transgender #discrimination) #Trans #GirlsLikeUs #woman #women #gender #transphobia #transwoman… https://t.co/bfEHVRwE1H

— Eden Torres (@edentorres121) 1633186859.0

What did Sonic Drive-In have to say?

"Eden, we have a strict anti-discrimination policy and take this very seriously," the fast-food company replied to Torres on Twitter. "We launched an immediate investigation into the incident, and we have reached out to you via TikTok to gather more information needed to complete the investigation. Please feel free to DM us here."

It isn't clear if Torres responded directly to Sonic, but in a tweet Torres posted Tuesday, the activist said the manager should be trained instead of fired.

"The manager of this Sonic told me it's OK that I'm gay. I'm not gay. I'm trans. There is a difference between sexuality & gender identity," Torres wrote. "Clearly the manager doesn't know this. That's OK, but he can learn. Clearly I'm not the only one who had issues. Don't fire him, train him."

How did folks react to the trans female activist?

A number of observers were less than sympathetic to Torres:

  • "So the guy asks your pronouns (I thought you all wanted this); you then ask him to assume what he thinks you are (I thought you weren't supposed to do that?); and then you get pissed at the answer," one commenter said. "Literally, there was no way the guy could have won."
  • "What you want (besides attention) is to have everyone accept your make believe world where you pretend to be something you're not while the masses cheer you on for your bravery," another user declared. "Seek help. Accept reality. You'll be happier."
  • "It's nobody's job to affirm you," another commenter replied.
  • "I love how you turn the camera around thinking it will show that he's crazy for thinking you're a man but…it doesn't," another user wrote.
  • "The employee asked you what you wanted to be called. Instead of answering, you told him to assume. When he did what you asked, you got upset. You had a chance to be called what you wanted but chose not to. This guy isn't paid enough to put up with you," another commenter explained.

Anything else?

Torres on Tuesday posted the following tweets as the Sonic Drive-In incident appeared to be going viral:

There is a trans competency problem. Aggressively calling me sir as a way to negatively impact me is transphobia. T… https://t.co/tOw6VBYJAc

— Eden Torres (@edentorres121) 1633444961.0

You do realize that by me speaking up, I am putting my life at gigantic risk. I have done absolutely nothing wrong… https://t.co/sWkXBW64Zt

— Eden Torres (@edentorres121) 1633444787.0

Sonic events:1. Order 2. Employee & I have a nice interaction. 3. I hand him my card to pay & he clearly saw na… https://t.co/7IyxaXNnhX

— Eden Torres (@edentorres121) 1633443017.0

Black police officer caught saying the N-word on his bodycam video — and gets fired for it



A black officer with the Tampa Police Department was caught on his bodycam saying the N-word on several occasions and was fired for it, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

What are the details?

Officer Delvin White — a school resource officer at Middleton High School — was fired Tuesday for "violations of policy that prohibit discriminatory conduct," the paper said, citing a news release.

White — an eight-year veteran of the department — used the N-word while on the phone and during a Nov. 30 arrest, the Times reported, citing a disposition letter police released.

Tampa police spokesman Eddy Durkin confirmed the officer is black, the paper said. Almost half the Middleton High School students are black compared to only one in five students across Hillsborough County Public Schools, the paper said, citing district demographic data.

White's actions during the November phone call were discovered after a random audit of bodycam video, police told the Times, which added that he admitted using the N-word during the Nov. 30 arrest.

The officer was recorded saying the slur in reference to a group of people while he was on the phone and also while he was driving home from an off-duty assignment Nov. 13, the paper said, citing the letter. Smith later uttered the N-word again while speaking to his wife, the Times said.

In addition, bodycam video showed White using the N-word twice while arresting a suspect for trespassing Nov. 30, the paper said.

What did the officer have to say?

The letter said when White was confronted about his actions, he told his superior he didn't use the N-word in a derogatory fashion but rather as it's "commonly used in today's society as a means of shared culture and experiences among the African American community," the Times reported.

What did police have to say?

"Derogatory statements made by police officers jeopardize the trust that our department works to establish with our community," Chief Brian Dugan in a statement, according to the paper. "Tampa Police officers are held to a higher standard, and incidents like this negatively impact the entire law enforcement profession."

Gay RV park and campground — Camp Boomerang — blasted for banning transgender men



Get your popcorn ready.

With former President Donald Trump out of office, the angry left — denied its favorite target — has been increasingly turning on itself for various transgressions, and now it appears leftists are devouring themselves once again.

Now what?

It seems an RV park and campground for gay men — which dubs itself Camp Boomerang — is in some hot water for banning transgender males, Pink News reported.

Based in Orleans, Michigan, Camp Boomerang has yet to open, but it's already starting controversy in the wake of co-owner Bryan Quinn's announcement about the limited clientele.

"Camp Boomerang is a private, membership-only RV park/campground that allows only 'guys,'" Quinn wrote on the Facebook, according to Pink News. "A 'guy', in terms of this discussion, is defined as a person with a penis, [who] presents himself as male and has a state-issued ID that says 'male.'"

He added that "we understand this statement, unfortunately, may not make everyone happy, but feel it needs to be clarified," the outlet said. Quinn also explained that the RV park's "guys"-only rule "allows us the ability to build a like-minded atmosphere."

"We don't mean for this to come off as a 'like it or leave it' attitude, but we feel it's necessary for everyone to know exactly what our vision is for Camp Boomerang," he also noted, according to Pink News.

Backlash

According to Advocate, Camp Boomerang "reportedly lost several founding members" over its policy — and then the campground's Facebook page was taken down amid backlash. Pink News said the RV park got a bunch of one-star reviews on Google.

Some of static was pretty loud, Advocate noted:

"They are blatantly uneducated and arrogant and assuming of what it means to be a trans person," said Michael Champagne, who had previously put down a deposit for rental space at Camp Boomerang for his newly purchased RV, told Pride Source. "It is hate speech period. It is discrimination period. It's all of those things that I don't want to associate with."

Santiago Moreno, a transgender Michigander and camper, also shared his thoughts with Pride Source on Camp Boomerang's exclusionary policy.

"I think it's garbage," he said. "There's a huge reason many trans individuals feel they don't belong within the LGBTQ movement. It's because sexuality and gender identity are completely different. And still, in 2021, many gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals are transphobic and would never fight for our rights like we have theirs. It's insane to me to know that even within our own circles we are still ostracized."

Another individual posted on Facebook that despite being a gay-owned business, Camp Boomerang is being "super transphobic" and that "trans men are men. Trans women are women. No debate. No discussion."