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A TEENAGE girl has accused a Buffalo Wild Wings employee of yanking her out of the women’s restroom and forcing her to prove her gender in a bombshell lawsuit.
Gerika Mudra, 18, was grabbing dinner with a friend at a location in Minnesota when a server allegedly followed her into the restroom.
The incident unfolded on Easter Day at a Buffalo Wild Wings in Owatonna, which is about an hour outside Minneapolis, according to the lawsuit filed by Gender Justice.
After Mudra stepped into the restroom, the worker banged on the stall door and said, “This is a women’s restroom. The man needs to get out of here,” the suit claims.
The diner, who is biracial and a lesbian, claimed that she then had to open the door and unzip her hoodie to prove that she is a woman.
Mudra said that she was left “very uncomfortable” by the interaction and now fears using public restrooms.
“I just hold it in […] I want to be able to use the bathroom in peace,” she said in a video published by Gender Justice.
The teen said that she knew something was wrong when the staff gave them “dirty looks” after they were seated.
She claimed that they had been telling everyone else in the restaurant “Happy Easter,” but were silent after Mudra walked in.
“I definitely will never go back there,” Mudra said.
Sara Jane Bladwin, who is a senior staff attorney for Gender Justice, said that the alleged incident is a clear violation of state laws.
“What happened to Gerika Mudra was not just wrong, it was unlawful,” she said in a statement.
“Minnesota law protects people from exactly this kind of discrimination in public spaces.
“No one should be harassed, humiliated, or forced to prove themselves just to use the bathroom.”
Mudra’s stepmom Shauna Otterness said that she “felt enraged” after hearing of the alleged incident.
“It was cruel and humiliating,” Otterness said.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Buffalo Wild Wings for comment regarding Gender Justice’s complaint.
Gender Justice’s statement on the complaint
“In Minnesota, the law is clear: in Minnesota, places open to the public cannot discriminate based on gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, sex, or race. They are also required to train staff, enforce anti-discrimination policies, and ensure their spaces are safe and welcoming to everyone.
Gender Justice has filed a charge of discrimination with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) on Gerika’s behalf. MDHR is the state agency responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest civil rights laws in the country.
What happened to Gerika didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s part of a growing climate of fear and suspicion—fueled by anti-trans rhetoric, political attacks and misinformation—that encourages people to police others’ bodies and identities.
Trans and gender noncomforming people are bearing the brunt, especially trans women of color, who face disproportionate levels of harassment, criminalization, and physical violence.
But it doesn’t stop there.
Gerika is a biracial lesbian teenager. She’s not transgender, but the harassment she experienced is the same kind of treatment that trans and gender-nonconforming people are subjected to every day.
This is the heart of anti-trans panic: a culture where gender nonconformity becomes grounds for harassment. Where racism, sexism, and transphobia collide. Where Black and brown women, girls, and gender-expansive people are disproportionately targeted for not looking or acting the way others expect. Where people feel entitled to question others’ humanity, and where businesses and institutions too often look the other way.”
Leaders at Gender Justice fear that Mudra’s complaint is indicative of a disturbing trend spreading across the US.
Megan Peterson, the executive director for the advocacy group, said, “This kind of gender policing is, unfortunately, nothing new.
“And yet, in our current climate, we have to ask: What if Gerika had been a trans person?
“Would this story have ended differently?
“That’s the terrifying reality too many trans people live with every day.”
