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Fletcher v. State of Alaska

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Status: Open
Court:
United States District Court for the District of Alaska
Issues: Anti-LGBT Rulings, Laws and Amendments, Health Care Fairness, Transgender Rights

Lambda Legal filed a federal lawsuit against the State of Alaska on behalf of Jennifer Fletcher, a state legislative librarian who was forced to pay out-of-pocket for medically necessary surgical treatment because the state health insurance plan prohibits such coverage only for transgender state employees.

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Lambda Legal filed a federal lawsuit against the State of Alaska on behalf of Jennifer Fletcher, a state legislative librarian who was forced to pay out-of-pocket for medically necessary surgical treatment because the state health insurance plan prohibits such coverage only for transgender state employees.

History

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  • 2014: Client Jennifer Fletcher is diagnosed with gender dysphoria. In consultation with health care professionals, she starts hormone therapy and transitions to living openly as the woman that she is.
  • 2017: Confronted with the AlaskaCare plan's blanket exclusion of transition-related surgical treatment, Jennifer must pay out of her own pocket for medically necessary care.
  • Early 2018: AlaskaCare plan begins covering transition-related hormone therapy, recognizing that such treatment is medically necessary, but continues to categorically prohibit coverage for transition-related surgical treatment, even though it can also be medically necessary.
  • March 2018: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) determines that there was reasonable cause to believe that the State of Alaska has violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
  • June 2018: Lambda Legal files federal lawsuit on Jennifer's behalf, arguing that the State of Alaska has violated the sex discrimination prohibition of Title VII.
  • February 2020: Oral argument at the Alaska District Court. 

Attorneys

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Lambda Legal

Peter Renn, Senior Attorney

Tara Borelli, Counsel

Taylor Brown, Staff Attorney

The Croft Law Office

Eric Croft, Counsel

Clients

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Jennifer Fletcher

Complaints

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Decisions

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Other Legal Documents

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Press Releases

VICTORY! Court Rules Alaska’s Denial of Health Care to Transgender Employee is Unlawful Discrimination
March 6, 2020
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Lambda Legal Asks Court to End Alaska’s Policy Denying Health Care Coverage for Transgender Employees
February 14, 2020
more

Blog Posts

VICTORY! Court Rules Alaska’s Denial of Health Care to Transgender Employee is Unlawful Discrimination

March 6, 2020

Alaska’s Policy Denying Health Care Coverage for Transgender Employees Must End

February 19, 2020
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