PERRY, Ga. — A jury settled an almost four-year discrimination battle against the Houston County Sheriff’s Office by transgender Sergeant Anna Lange Tuesday.
It first started in 2017 when Lange informed Sheriff Cullen Talton she was coming out as trans and wanted the county's insurance to pay for an about-$20,000 gender reassignment surgery.
"The verdict yesterday was a culmination of almost 4 years struggle for me and I was finally vindicated," Anna Lange said.
Houston County Sheriff's Office Sergeant Anna Lange says an uphill battle to prove discrimination is finally coming to an end.
"I've lived my life in limbo, which hasn't been easy to do. Luckily, the jury heard the treatment I need and require is not considered cosmetic or elected but that it's medically necessary," she said.
The legal battle went to trial this week. A jury heard testimony from the sergeant's psychologist and her doctor and then on Tuesday awarded her $60,000 for pain and suffering.
"They determined that Houston County and the Houston County Sheriff’s Office willfully discriminated against me by withholding transgender health care," she said.
Lange's fight for her rights gained national attention, but it’s also brought her some right here in central Georgia through a Macon Pride Trailblazer and Pioneer award.
"Not only does this award or recognition recognize just my case, but, in this case, will impact so many other individuals in the Macon-area community,” Lange said.
Lange says this is the first case of its kind in the south. Her attorney David Brown says the message this win sends is loud and clear-- discrimination against trans employees is illegal, immoral, and expensive.
"They've spent, at this point, a million dollars on paying their lawyers to defend this lawsuit. It’s something like 50 times what their insurer told them covering Sergeant Lange's surgery would cost them,” he said.
In one final step, "We expect the court will also enter an order prohibiting her employers, Houston County and the Houston County Sheriff's Office from any future discrimination in their employee health plan against transgender people," Brown said.
Once the judge imposes an injunction, Lange's procedure would be covered. She’s currently on a waiting list for the surgery in New York City but doesn’t know when that will be. We reached out to county Chairman Tommy Stalnaker about why Houston spent a million dollars in legal costs instead of $20,000 on Lange’s surgery, he did not return our calls.