Toni Witten, a transgender airport traffic controller who’s held the job for nine years and came out in November, insists the complaints filed against her by colleagues, which forced her into administrative leave, are false. Including the one saying she talked about “tranny bars” and sexual behaviors. And the other that claims she attempted to put her breasts on display. [Fox 5]
Andrew
So she’s had the job for nine years and her colleagues haven’t had a single complaint. Now that she’s come out as TG, she’s suddenly a huge skank?
Something doesn’t smell right.
Cam
Well then she sounds just like a straight woman. I’m sure ANYBODY here has been in some bar or a party where some straight girl had just gotten a boob job and couldn’t wait to show them to everybody “Here, touch them, don’t they feel real??”. It is weird, it’s like when they get the fake ones, for a while they don’t seem to realize that they are part of their body. The only difference being, the men in the office probably wouldn’t have complained if a straight woman had done it.
As for the complaint. “Talking about Tranny Bars”…Really? And are all those people at her job trying to say that THEY never talked about going to a bar after work?!
Not totally defending if she was going around flashing, but I’ve just seen enough of that from straight women that I’m not overly surprised if it happens to be true. And again, Just wondering how many of the men in the office would be complaining if this was some 25 year old straight girl.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Seems like a perfect fit, for her to be in TRANSportation! :-p
Jaroslaw
VERY GOOD #3. TRANSportation…..
Okay, lets back the wagon up a bit. This person an air traffic controller, a position which requires a good deal of education and responsibility. We will never know what happened, but considered 1/2 the country is still uncomfortable with Gays, I think the likelihood they are even more uncomfortable around transgendered individuals is likely the reason for the complaint.
Larry
She looks like Miss Swan from “Mad TV”…
Matt
Can we have a correction here?
She’s an airport traffic officer (moves cars around the parking lots, private company), not an air traffic controller (moves airplanes around the airport, terminal, or enroute environment, FAA employee).
The former is all sorts of crazy, the latter is usually a pretty accepting profession with some really great folks and pretty rock solid benefits and harassment policies (as well as a union with a really solid history of standing up for employee rights [NATCA]).
And we don’t wear uniforms…
None
So sad… I read the linked to article and have no idea who to believe. Maybe her co-workers have ganged up on her. Who knows. I wish her well.
TS Toni W
Hi everyone. My name is Toni Witten and I’m the airport traffic officer in question. I would like to say in my defense that this whole situation was engineered by one of my co-workers. I have served the public at Lindbergh Field for the last nine years. On my last evaluation, 06/15/2009, in black and white it says that I set the standard for the other airport traffic officers. I won the airport authority’s second highest award, the “Spirit of SAN” award in 2008 for saving the life of a bus driver who was in full cardiac arrest. This situation was bred out of hate and ignorance. I urge you, before you judge me, get all of the facts. There were many relevant facts which were not aired in this news story. The discrimination I have experienced at the hands of my manager and director, as well as others has been blatant. This is just one thing in a line of unfair treatment which I have experienced over the last seven months.
have always had above average evaluations,
Syl
@ Toni: I feel so awful for you. Fear of employment discrimination like this is why so many trans people-myself included-have not transitioned and remain in the closet, much to the detriment of their emotional and psychological well-being. Workplace harassment and discrimination forces many trans people into less pleasant avenues of employment. And, in a big nasty feedback loop, that helps to reinforce the popular conception that “tranny= porn, prostitution, or stripping”. I hope this works out for you. Do you have a good lawyer?
Sarah
Toni – don’t say anymore in a public forum, if you are taking legal action, keep it between you and your lawyer. Most cases like this are simple discrimination that are pretty easily proven.
Jaroslaw99
Good idea Sarah – even better, get this deleted if Queerty will do it.
SANDRA
WELL I AM TONIS FRIEND AND SHE HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT A GREAT FRIEND AND HONESTLY I GOTTA SAY SHE IS ONE OF MY GOOD FRIENDS I ONLY HAVE A FEW I CHOOSE MY FRIENDS WISELY AND SHE IS A RESPECTFULL WOMAN I COULDNT SEE HER LIKE ANYTHING ELSE WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER AND ALL I CAN SAY IS FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT DONT KNOW YOU CAN’T JUDGE,GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE ARAUND YOU CAUSE YOU MITE BE MISSING OUT SHE HAS TEACHED ME SO MANY THINGS AND MABY IF YOU GIVE HER A CHANCE YOU CAN LEARN HOW SOMETIMES WE JUST JUDGE BOOKS BY THEIR COVER*LOVE U TONI*DON’T EVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS*
Cam
If she is being discriminated against, and this was engineered by another employee, then I hope that employee not only loses their job but has to pay out a nice chunk of money. If we can’t make people accept GLBT’s then at least we can make them tolorate us because they don’t want to get sued. I’ll take that as a first step.
Toni Witten
Just an update. I went through all of my appeals to fight my suspension, and lost. The only evidence they had were the statements of the accusers. Oh, and how convenient, they were not able to produce any video footage from the CCTV cameras in the area. In any case, no attorney wants my case because they say there are not grounds enough for a large settlement, this actually coming from a rather well know LGBT attorney in San Diego. I officially resigned my position at San Diego International Airport, and relocated to a different city.