Consumer Law
A Transgender Vanderbilt Employee Sues the University for Discrimination
Olivia Hill, the first Vanderbilt employee to transition while employed by the university, filed a lawsuit against Vanderbilt on Sept. 29, 2021, citing alleged workplace discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity and disability.
Hill has held a variety of positions, including plant supervisor and acting plant manager, during her 25-year tenure at the Vanderbilt Power Plant. She was placed on administrative paid leave in December 2019, where she remains to date. Hill said she was diagnosed with gender dysphoria in late 2017, which qualifies her as a person with disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
