DENVER-
A transsexual woman filed a discrimination lawsuit Monday alleging she was unlawfully dismissed from an internship required for her master’s degree.
Jennifer Anne Blair, 55, was dismissed from the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado’s Executive Center in Wheat Ridge in 2005, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court. Blair alleged she was told she would not receive credit for about 300 hours of internship work that was required for the clinical psychology master’s program at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center.
According to the lawsuit, the university and KFHP said they were terminating her for violating conflict-of-interest rules, stemming from her conversation with a prospective client for her private practice. Blair was told she should have immediately referred the client, who had KFHP insurance, to KFHP, the lawsuit said.
Blair, who underwent surgery to become a woman, alleged she was a victim of age and gender discrimination. Her lawsuit sought unspecified damages.
The university, the CU Board of Regents, and KFHP were among defendants listed in the lawsuit.
University counsel and Kaiser representatives had not yet seen the lawsuit.
CU spokeswoman Michele McKinney said Blair received credit for some of her work at Kaiser but also had to complete the rest of her required hours.
“She can have the degree as soon as she completes the requirements,” McKinney said.
Jacque Montgomery, a spokeswoman for Kaiser Permanente, said she could not comment on matters in litigation but said, “Kaiser is well-recognized for its commitment to diversity.”
