ST. LOUIS - Angelia Scott filed a lawsuit on Sept. 23 in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis against St. Louis University Hospital for violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 - associational discrimination and violation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
According to the complaint, Scott is the mother of a son who experiences gender dysphoria and is an employee of the St. Louis University Hospital, which provides its employees with health care coverage for employees and their dependents through a privately funded plan administered by Cigna Healthcare NSBUS.
The health care coverage plan contains a categorical exclusion of all care related to gender dysphoria and gender reassignment. By categorically depriving transgender enrollees of coverage for the treatment of gender dysphoria, the clinically significant distress that can result from the dissonance between an individual’s gender identity and sex assigned at birth, Defendant unlawfully discriminated against Scott.
Scott alleges that Defendant denied equal compensation for equal work due to her son's gender dysphoria and gender reassignment. The defendant removed the case to federal court on Oct. 22.
Scott seeks compensatory and consequential damages, special damages, punitive damages, pre and post-judgment interest, costs, expenses and attorney's fees and injunctive relief. Scott is represented by Madeline Johnson of the Law Office of Madeline Johnson.