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LEXIE CANNES STATE OF TRANS — Update – May 19, 2016. Name of security guard released. From The Washington Post:

Police charged the guard, Francine Bernice Jones, 45, of the District, with one count of simple assault, a misdemeanor. She is a special police officer, meaning she is licensed by the District and has arrest powers in areas where she is designated to work. She is employed by Wolf Security in Baltimore. . . .

Giant Foods, in a statement, called the guard’s alleged actions inappropriate. “Clearly, in this case, a third party security guard appears to have acted inappropriately, and we apologize unreservedly. The statement says the store views “the choice of restroom as a personal matter.”

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE: A security guard in a Washington DC grocery store told a trans woman in the store’s bathroom: “You guys cannot keep coming in here and using our women’s restroom. They did not pass the law yet.” With that, the guard grabbed the customer and pushed her out of the restroom, then out of the store.

Trans woman Ebony Belcher told NBC4 she was at the store to help pick up a delivery when she passed a security guard on the way to the restroom. The guard followed her in, made derogatory comments, then grabbed her. Outside the store, Belcher called DC police to report the assault. According to a police report, the guard was arrested and charged with simple assault.

The name of the security guard is not available. The Giant store’s statement said all inquiries should be directed to the police.

There are a few conflicting details with other reports, including the sex of the security guard and the guard’s relationship to the store, so I’ve left those off for now. Thumbs up to the DC police for the their prompt handling of this matter!

t/h Sara Simone, Jill Corcoran

Ebony Belcher: http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Guard-Charged-with-Assault-After-Confronting-Transgender-Woman-Using-Womens-Restroom-380010941.html

Update: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/security-guard-accused-of-assaulting-woman-who-wanted-to-use-store-bathroom/2016/05/19/ae8d0a88-1d36-11e6-8c7b-6931e66333e7_story.html

Watch LEXIE CANNES right now: http://www.amazon.com/Lexie-Cannes-CourtneyODonnell/dp/B00KEYH3LQ

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Categories: Discrimination, Equality, Civil Rights, Transgender, Transsexual, Trans