HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Anna Lange told 13WMAZ in 2019 she was only looking for fair and equal treatment. Now, almost four years later, a federal court has agreed.
They said Houston County was denying her equal protection under the law.
“I just want to be treated fairly and equally and earn the same benefits as my coworkers,” Houston County Deputy Anna Lange said.
Lange is a transgender woman and a Houston County deputy.
Nearly four years after she filed a federal discrimination lawsuit, a judge ruled in her favor.
"The most important thing to know is there's a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in employment and the courts decision makes clear that depriving transgender people of health care coverage because they’re transgender in an employer health plan violates that law," Attorney David Brown said.
Her attorney says four years ago, Lange spoke to her boss Sheriff Cullen Talton. She tried to explain her transition and to ask the county to cover her gender-confirming surgery.
"She sought coverage for it from her employee health plan that Houston County provided and she was denied that coverage even though the county would provide coverage for all her colleagues medically necessary care of the same kind and she would have gotten it but for the fact that she was transgender," he said.
Court records say Lange's doctors said the surgery was medically necessary and her lawyer estimates it would cost around $26,000, but instead, Brown says the county spent many times more than that fighting the case.
"They elected instead to defend this lawsuit, and as of six months ago, they have racked up about $700,000 in legal fees and, surely, it's more today," he explained
Federal judge Marc Treadwell ruled that Houston County violated Title VII, which guarantees equal protection under the law.
The judge will order Houston not to discriminate against Lange or any other trans employees.
Brown says Lange will receive compensation from the county, the amount has not been set yet.