Hobby Lobby loses 11-year battle to stop trans woman using the bathroom

US retailer Hobby Lobby has been fined for blocking a transgender woman employee from using its women’s bathroom for 11 years, following a court ruling that is a first for transgender people in the state.

The 51-year-old employee, Meggan Sommerville, had worked at the same Hobby Lobby location in Illinois for almost 23 years, but was barred from using the women’s bathroom after transitioning between 2007 and 2010, according to court filings.

She argued that Hobby Lobby had even acknowledged her transition and updated its records for her, but refused her request to access the women’s bathroom – in violation of Illinois state law and the Human Rights Act.