Associated Press
CHICAGO — A transsexual is suing United Airlines, claiming he was ordered to get off an airplane and change into men’s clothing before re-boarding.
Richard Ward, also known as Sarah West, was on a flight from Omaha, Neb., to Chicago, where he was scheduled to take a connecting flight home to London.
When Ward showed United staff his British passport, identifying him as a man, United employees told him to get off the plane and change into men’s clothing, according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court.
Ward says he showed United staff a letter from his doctor that explained it was normal for him to dress as a woman because he was undergoing treatment for "male to female transsexualism." But Ward claims he was told he would not be able to fly until he looked more like his passport photo.
The lawsuit seeks more than $50,000 in damages.
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