A transgender contractor who formerly worked for Nike is calling out the multi-billion-dollar sporting wear company in a $1.1 million lawsuit after alleging the contractor was allegedly made to endure repeated harassment, bullying and crude jokes, according to the lawsuit. Computer engineer Jazz Lyles alleged in the suit the Portland Business Journal obtained that although Lyles informed Nike of preferred gender pronouns including "they/them/their," Nike workers repeatedly used the wrong pronouns.
Some coworkers allegedly called Lyles "stupid" and "unstable," according to the suit. One refused to use Lyles’ preferred pronouns due to religious reasons, and one coworker allegedly told Lyles: "I know I'm not supposed to call you 'she-male,'" according to the suit. "When someone refuses to acknowledge a person's gender identity or insists on referring to them by a gender to which they do not identify (called misgendering), this causes real and significant harm," Lyles’ attorney Shenoa Payne said in the suit. "This is particularly true when a person is misgendered repeatedly on a daily basis."
As a result of the alleged mistreatment, Lyles launched a complaint with Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries, according to the newsweekly Willamette Week. In response to the Bureau’s probe into the complaint, the law firm, Stoel Rives, dismissed it. Stoel Rives accused Lyles of being a “mediocre” contractor “with a limited skill set," the newsweekly reported. Rives also mentioned a hiring freeze limiting full-time opportunities, Willamette Week reported.
Lyles later ended the complaint and opted for a lawsuit instead, according to the alternative newsweekly. Payne filed the suit December 16 against Nike and the staffing firm Mainz Brady Group, according to the complaint.
Lyles reportedly worked for Nike between May 2017 to September 2018. During that time, the former contractor allegedly reported multiple examples of harassment to management from both companies, according to the suit. Payne accused Nike of stalling in its investigation and said the company didn’t conclude its probe until eight months after Lyles stopped working with Nike. Mainz Brady never looked into the claims, Payne said in the suit.
Meanwhile, Nike offered Lyles’ coworkers permanent employment in August 2018, and Lyles was handed down work with unrealistic deadlines and ultimately, fired Sept. 4, 2018, according to the suit. “In efforts to maintain a positive brand image and reputation, Nike has stressed inclusivity with its ‘Be True’ campaign, emphasizing equality and diversity to the public, and utilizing transgender athletes as part of that campaign," Payne said in the lawsuit. "However, behind closed doors, Nike’s culture is one of inequality and pervasive harassment for those who do not fit the gender stereotypes and mold of the dominant cisgender white male culture."
"Nike created a boys-club 'jock mentality' that affected anyone who was not part of the club, including transgender and nonbinary employees, such as plaintiff,” Payne said in the lawsuit. Lyles’ complaint isn’t the first discrimination suit brought against Nike. Four women filed a federal lawsuit against Nike last year accusing the company of breaking equal-pay laws and creating a work atmosphere that permitted sexual harassment, Payne told CBS News.
Lyles is seeking at least $195,000 in economic damages and about $950,000 in noneconomic damages, the Portland Business Journal reported. Though not addressing the actual lawsuit, Nike told CBS News that it "is committed to a culture of diversity, inclusion and respect where everyone can succeed and realize their full potential."