An Alaska Airlines aircraft flies past the tail of a United Airlines aircraft as it lands at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., January 24, 2022. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

Sept 12 (Reuters) - A Washington state civil rights agency has accused Alaska Airlines of discriminating against non-binary and gender fluid employees by imposing a rigid gender-based dress code, according to a decision released on Monday.

The Washington State Human Rights Commission (HRC) said there was reasonable cause to find that Alaska Airlines violated state law by refusing to exempt a non-binary flight attendant, Justin Wetherell, from a policy requiring employees to choose between masculine and feminine uniforms. The determination is dated August 31.

A finding of reasonable cause means the HRC will now attempt to broker a settlement between the parties. If that fails, the HRC can opt to file an administrative complaint against Alaska Airlines.

The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The American Civil Liberties Union had filed a complaint with the HRC on behalf of Wetherell in December 2020, claiming they were often forced to call out of work because of the anxiety they felt surrounding the company's dress code.

In a June 2021 letter, the ACLU urged the airline to adopt more flexible policies.

Under a policy implemented in 2020, customer-facing Alaska Airlines employees were to choose either a male uniform that included a vest and tie and forbids makeup,...

Read Full Story: https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/alaska-airlines-gender-based-dress-c...