A former nursing assistant for an Easton nursing facility says she was fired because she's transgender.

She wants to keep her identity a secret in a lawsuit she filed Tuesday in federal court because she fears she'll suffer violence due to her gender identity.

The lawsuit says she was hired in April or May 2017 at Gardens for Memory Care at 500 Washington St. in Easton.

She repeatedly had to correct coworkers to address her as "she" rather than "he," the lawsuit says. She was embarrassed to be incorrectly identified as a male to patients, the suit says.

Her former male name was frequently listed on an assignment sheet rather than her female name, the suit says.

In June 2017 she overheard a coworker tell another coworker, "He's going to have to ask for forgiveness if he doesn't want to go to hell," referring to the plaintiff, the lawsuit says.

By September 2017 she complained about her treatment to the director of nursing, the lawsuit says. Later that day she was fired, the suit says.

She identifies as a woman of color and doesn't want to be known publicly as transgender for fear of attacks, the lawsuit says.

The suit says transgender women of color were murdered within the last month in Philadelphia, Chicago, Louisiana and Florida due to their gender identity. The Morris Home for Hope, an LGBTQ-specific homeless shelter, was "firebombed" in a hate crime attack on June 23, 2018, the lawsuit says.

"Fatal violence against trans women of color has been described as part of a growing epidemic," wrote the plaintiff's attorney, Justin Robinette.

He asked the judge to allow her to proceed anonymously. She may elect to drop the lawsuit if forced to reveal her identity, and justice may not be served in that case, he said.

The defendants in the case are Gardens for Memory Care at Easton and Priority Healthcare Group of Eddyside, Pa.

"The Gardens for Memory Care at Easton has zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind. The Gardens is an equal opportunity employer and boasts a diverse workforce. Given the pending legal proceeding we are unable to comment on any specific incident or allegation," wrote Gardens spokesman Michael Fragin in an email.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.