Transsexuals Awarded $1 in Toys 'R' Us Suit

NEW YORK (AP) -- A jury on Thursday found that three transsexuals who sued Toys "R" Us were harassed by workers while shopping at a Brooklyn store but don't deserve $900,000 in damages.

Plaintiff attorney Tom Shanahan called the verdict in federal court -- in which the jury agreed that the Toys "R" Us employees violated city civil rights codes -- "a moral victory for the transsexual community."

But one of Shanahan's clients, Donna McGrath, said she was disappointed with jurors' decision to award each plaintiff only $1.

"They don't understand us," McGrath said. "They can't walk in our shoes."

Attorneys for Toys "R" Us, the country's second-largest seller of toys, had no immediate comment.

McGrath, Tanya Jinks and Tara Lopez had each sought $300,000 in damages in what Shanahan described as a landmark lawsuit combining issues of sexual identity, civil rights and corporate responsibility.

The plaintiffs alleged that during two shopping excursions at a Toys "R" Us store in December 2000, employees called them names and menaced them with baseball bats because of their lifestyle. They accused the company of ignoring its own anti-discrimination policies by not disciplining any workers.

At trial, Toys "R" Us attorney Nicholas Goodman accused the plaintiffs of distorting the facts. He insisted there were no threats of violence.

The plaintiffs "were free to shop in that store, and no one ever asked them to leave," Goodman said.

Quoted:
I'm wondering about the jury's verdict. Did they actually believe the faggots story? Or was the $1 award their way of showing contempt for the case?

I hope the lawyers got their 33% of the award money.

Personally I find it hard to believe that retail employees would go out of their way to insult their customers. It's hard enough to get them to help their customers!  >gg<