I have been working in a Mass Transit facility for about 9 months now. I am one of 2 females in the mechanics/service shop. Both of us are "service workers", which basically means we fuel the buses each nite. I have recently been told by my supervisor that I and only I (out of 5 service workers, 2 female, 3 male) am not allowed to be in the mechanics work area during my work hours or off of the clock. I have not been given a valid reason why, although I believe that he thinks I am a "distraction". No other employee has been informed that service workers or anyone other than a mechanic can't be in the mechanics work area, just me. There has never been an incident such as this in the past 25 years, according to a mechanic who has been there that long. My supervisor has recently been reprimanded over an incident that I was involved with, but I did not instigate or request his reprimand. Another employee did, and has told my supervisor that I was the one who requested it. Therefore I feel he is "punishing" me. Can he single me out like this, or must he make it a general rule that no one other than a mechanic be in that part of the shop? I am not sure if it is sexual discrimination since another female co-worker has not received the same treatment. The only factor with that theory (and I don't want to seem discriminant myself) is that she is a lesbian and very "guyish" where as I am heterosexual and feminine. Many of the other male employees have made the statement that they don't even feel as though they are working with a female when she is around and that makes it a different work environment with her, hence no "distraction." I am also trying to get a promotion to mechanic apprentice and have many more qualifications than many of the male mechanics did when they started the apprenticeship program. I am continually getting pushed off with reason after reason as to why they can not promote me. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

As you are the only one being banned from the area, and there is at least one other woman who isn't being banned, it would be very hard to make a case that you are being treated this way because of your gender. It may be because your boss thinks you got him in trouble. That isn't illegal, just a sign of poor management skills. Does not bein able to enter the machanic area make it difficult to do your job? Are tools you need kept there? Or is it just irksome that you have been banned? If it is making it difficult to do your job, I'd go over his head and take the problem to the next in line, letting that person know the problem this is causing.

I'm not sure why you haven't been chosen for the apprentice program and whether the reasons you were given were valid. Have other women been denied participation? Have other men been chosen ahead of you when you applied? Were they more or less qualified? What may have once been the minimum qualifications very well may have changed.

Yes, he can require that you and only you not visit the area in question, and he does not have to give you a reason, valid or otherwise.

Since no such restriction has been placed on other women, it will be difficult for you to make a claim of gender discrimination. IL does not recognize sexual orientation as a protected category under the law, so her sexual orientation does not enter into it. Bottom line, you're pretty much stuck with it.

The promotions are a separate issue, and we really don't have enough information to comment. You've worked there for less than a year; gender aside, many places require a year or more before they will place someone in an apprenticeship or a "fast track" category. You say that you have more qualifications than some of the men, but you don't say if they've worked there longer than you. With the information we have, it is possible that gender discrimination is taking place, but it is not even remotely clear-cut.

If you have additional details, you are free to post them.