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Legal Breakdowns of the hottest Entertainment and Celebrity Drama – Rashida Maples, Esq.Fabulous correspondent and larger-than-life personality B. Scott recently filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against the BET Network for gender discrimination and damage to his reputation based upon claims that BET forced him to change into clothing deemed more suitable for a man and also ultimately pulled him from the pre-show festivities. For those who are not familiar, B. Scott is a gorgeous transgender man who dresses in women’s attire and has the hair of a goddess. He is known for being outspoken, sassy and witty and that is what he desired to present during his time as a correspondent for the network.

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According to his lawsuit, B. Scott claims that BET hired him as the “Style Stage” correspondent. Initially he was dressed in what was considered “women’s clothing,” which included a flowing blue tunic and flowing black sheer pants. B. Scott contends that this initial outfit was previously approved by the head honchos at BET. However, after the first segment of the pre-show, B. Scott claims that BET executives ordered that he be pulled backstage due to his unacceptable clothing. He was also allegedly forced to change into a blue blazer and black slacks (pictured in the middle photo above) and had to pull his long gorgeous tresses into a ponytail. After complying with BET’s requests, he was ultimately pulled from the segment and replaced with Adrienne Bailon.

Due to the alleged actions of BET, B. Scott claims that he was humiliated, discriminated against because of his sexual orientation and transgender appearance and damage was done to his reputation. He is seeking $2.5 million dollars in restitution from BET. “Let’s be clear – I’m suing BET and Viacom for a true public apology and to be fairly remunerated for the time lost, humiliation and emotional distress this entire situation has put me through,” he said in a statement.

What Does This Mean?:

According to California based attorney, Matthew A. Kaufman, California discrimination laws specifically protect heterosexuals, homosexuals and bisexuals from sexual orientation discrimination. It further protects transsexuals and transgender persons from gender discrimination. Gender has nothing to do with a person’s sexual orientation, but rather refers to the behavioral, cultural or psychological traits typically associated with one sex.

Any adverse employment action taken because an employer or co-worker believed that a male or female employee did not conform to a certain gender norm, constitutes gender discrimination and is actionable under both California state and federal law.

How Does This Affect You? :

Some examples of sexual orientation and gender discrimination include:

– A women being fired for not acting feminine enough

– A man being fired for acting “too feminine”

If you believe you have been discriminated against due to your sexual orientation or based upon gender discrimination either through an unlawful termination or harassment, there are many forms of restitution available. You may seek past lost wages and other benefits, future lost wages and other benefits, general damages caused by emotional distress and pain and suffering, as well as lawyer’s fees.

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Rashida Maples, Esq. is Founder and Managing Partner of J. Maples & Associates (www.jmaplesandassociates.com). She has practiced Entertainment, Real Estate and Small Business Law for 9 years, handling both transactional and litigation matters. Her clients include R&B Artists Bilal and Olivia, NFL Superstar Ray Lewis, Fashion Powerhouse Harlem’s Fashion Row and Hirschfeld Properties, LLC.

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