Press Coverage

New York Times, Saturday, December 12, 1998

WASHINGTON – A jury yesterday awarded $2.9 million in damages to the mother of a transvestite who died from injuries received in a traffic accident after District of Columbia paramedics refused to treat him.

The Superior Court jury ruled the paramedics were negligent and violated the human rights of Tyrone "Tyra" Hunter, 24, in stopping treatment after realizing that he was a man dressed in women’s clothing.

"It really wasn’t about money. It was about justice," said Mr. Hunter’s mother, Margie, who sued the city for $10 million. Her son died after a car in which he was a passenger was struck by another car in southwest Washington on Aug. 7, 1995.

Witnesses testified during the trial that the D.C. Fire Department paramedics ridiculed Mr. Hunter, a hairdresser, and stopped treating him for five to seven minutes after realizing that he was in drag.

The was a violation of the D.C. Human Rights Act, which protects citizens from discrimination against, among other things, sexual orientation and personal appearance, Mrs. Hunter’s lawyer, Richard Silber, argued.