Brandy Livingston, a transgender woman, has filed a lawsuit against a Hooters franchise, alleging discrimination after the restaurant reportedly declined to hire her due to concerns about her “image.”
Brandy Livingston, a frequent visitor at the Hooters on Wolf Road in Colonie, New York, had long dreamed of working there. She claims she applied for a position three times but was repeatedly turned down.
In an interview with News10, Livingston shared feeling disrespected as a woman by the staff, who she claims openly discriminated against her.
“They would use male pronouns. They would refer to me as ‘he,'” she recounted to News10.
After being turned down for the job, Livingston questioned the hiring criteria, asking if her previous experience was relevant. She was reportedly told, “Oh, we don’t care about experience. We hire based on personality. And there’s an image that needs to be met.”
Livingston also described an incident where she overheard staff commenting on her use of the women’s restroom. “I overheard one of the servers, after I left the restroom, talking to a manager and saying, ‘Why are you allowing him in the women’s restroom?’ The manager replied, ‘Oh, I don’t like it any more than you do,'” she recounted.
Following these experiences, Livingston filed a complaint with the New York State Division of Human Rights. The agency investigated and reportedly concluded that her rights may have been violated.
Hooters, however, disputes Livingston’s account, stating that she was asked not to return to the restaurant due to alleged inappropriate behavior.
According to the chain’s attorneys, before her transition, Livingston allegedly made several sexually explicit comments to staff, including proposing marriage to servers and discussing personal matters.
News10 reporter James De La Fuente questioned her about these allegations, adding that Hooters claimed she had also made comments about visiting a gun range.
Livingston denied the allegations, saying, “I never said anything about that. My mom would take me to the gun range for clay pigeon shooting, trap. I think one of the servers may have overheard me talking with my dad and misunderstood.”
With the findings from the New York State Division of Human Rights, a hearing is scheduled for next September, where both sides will address the allegations. Livingston told News10 she isn’t seeking monetary compensation but is hoping for an apology, adding, “What I really want is an apology. I’m never going to get that.”
