In April, 18-year-old Gerika Mudra went to dinner with a friend. When she went to the women's restroom, a server followed her in, banged on the stall door, and shouted: "This is a women's restroom. The man needs to get out of here."
Gerika—who is a biracial lesbian, not transgender—came out and said, "I am a lady." Instead of apologizing, the server doubled down: "You have to get out now." Feeling she had no other way to be believed, Gerika unzipped her hoodie to show she had breasts. Only then did the server leave. She has now filed a charge of discrimination against the restaurant
This happened in Minnesota and that state's law prohibits discrimination in public accommodations based on gender identity, sexual orientation, and stereotypes about either. That means staff can't just harass someone because they don't "look" how they think a woman should look.
This wasn't just a rogue employee—it was a total breakdown of training, supervision, and common sense. A teenager was humiliated in a public restroom because a restaurant couldn't ensure its employees understood the law, their obligations, or basic human decency.
As a result, this employer scored itself a nomination for the Worst Employer of 2025. It didn't just fail Gerika. It reminded every person who doesn't fit a narrow stereotype exactly how unsafe public spaces can feel.
Moreover, this is what happens when "bathroom policing" becomes normalized. It doesn't just target trans people. It targets anyone who doesn't conform to someone else's idea of what a woman or man "should" look like. Today it was Gerika. Tomorrow, it could be you, your daughter, your mother, or your friend.
Gerika—who is a biracial lesbian, not transgender—came out and said, "I am a lady." Instead of apologizing, the server doubled down: "You have to get out now." Feeling she had no other way to be believed, Gerika unzipped her hoodie to show she had breasts. Only then did the server leave. She has now filed a charge of discrimination against the restaurant
This happened in Minnesota and that state's law prohibits discrimination in public accommodations based on gender identity, sexual orientation, and stereotypes about either. That means staff can't just harass someone because they don't "look" how they think a woman should look.
This wasn't just a rogue employee—it was a total breakdown of training, supervision, and common sense. A teenager was humiliated in a public restroom because a restaurant couldn't ensure its employees understood the law, their obligations, or basic human decency.
As a result, this employer scored itself a nomination for the Worst Employer of 2025. It didn't just fail Gerika. It reminded every person who doesn't fit a narrow stereotype exactly how unsafe public spaces can feel.
Moreover, this is what happens when "bathroom policing" becomes normalized. It doesn't just target trans people. It targets anyone who doesn't conform to someone else's idea of what a woman or man "should" look like. Today it was Gerika. Tomorrow, it could be you, your daughter, your mother, or your friend.