Overview
- Danielle Mittereder, a TSA officer at Dulles International Airport, filed a federal lawsuit alleging the policy constitutes sex discrimination and blocks core job functions, advancement, and facility access.
- TSA says the rule requires male officers to pat down male passengers and female officers to pat down female passengers, regardless of an officer’s gender identity.
- Internal documents obtained by the Associated Press state transgender officers cannot conduct pat-downs, serve as required witnesses in private screenings, demonstrate pat-downs in training, or use restrooms that do not align with their biological sex.
- DHS and TSA defend the change as necessary to comply with the Jan. 20 executive order and to address traveler comfort and safety concerns.
- Union leaders and legal advocates call the restrictions discriminatory and warn they could deepen staffing strains and cause screening delays as the lawsuit proceeds.