Teen Claims Server Asked for Gender Proof in Restaurant Restroom

A Teenager Files a Discrimination Charge After Being Harassed in a Restroom

An 18-year-old high school student from Minnesota recently filed a discrimination charge against a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, claiming that a server followed her into the women’s restroom and demanded she prove she was a girl. The incident has sparked widespread concern about gender-based harassment and the treatment of individuals in public spaces.

Gerika Mudra, an 18-year-old biracial student, was dining with a friend at the Owatonna, Minnesota, location of the chain restaurant in late April when a female server entered the women’s restroom and accused her of being “a boy,” according to Gender Justice, the nonprofit organization that filed the charge on her behalf. The server reportedly blocked Mudra from exiting the restroom until she unzipped her hoodie to show that she had breasts.

This event is not the first time Mudra has faced questioning about her gender in a public restroom. In a video released by Gender Justice, she expressed how this experience left her feeling uncomfortable and anxious about using public restrooms. “After that, I just don’t like going in public bathrooms. Like, I just hold it in. I just keep thinking, ‘I’m gonna keep getting harassed like this,’” she said.

Mudra’s stepmother, Shauna Otterness, described the incident as “cruel and humiliating” and said it left her feeling “enraged.” She emphasized that Gerika was targeted because of how she looks and not for any wrongdoing. “She didn’t do anything wrong. She just didn’t fit what that server thought a girl should look like,” Otterness said.

Gender Justice, which advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, claims the incident violates the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country. The law prohibits discrimination based on characteristics such as sexual orientation and gender identity. Sara Jane Baldwin, a senior staff attorney at Gender Justice, stated that what happened to Gerika was “unlawful” and that Minnesota law protects people from such discrimination in public spaces.

The organization also highlighted the broader issue of gender policing in society. Megan Peterson, executive director at Gender Justice, noted that while this type of behavior is not new, it raises important questions about how trans individuals might be treated in similar situations. “What if Gerika had been a trans person?” Peterson asked. “Would this story have ended differently? That’s the terrifying reality too many trans people live with every day.”

Peterson added that Mudra’s case reflects a growing culture of suspicion and control targeting trans, gender-nonconforming, and Black girls and women. “When people are harassed just for existing, none of us are truly safe,” she said.

According to the Movement Advancement Project, 19 states have laws prohibiting transgender people from using facilities that match their gender identity in K-12 schools. Most of these states also bar trans people from entering restrooms consistent with their gender identity in government-owned buildings. However, a measure to bar trans students from bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity failed to advance in the Minnesota legislature in 2017.

Buffalo Wild Wings has not responded to requests for comment regarding the incident or the discrimination charge, which was filed with the state’s Department of Human Rights.

The case has brought attention to the challenges faced by individuals who do not conform to traditional gender norms. It also highlights the need for stronger protections and awareness around gender-based discrimination in public spaces. As more stories like Gerika’s come to light, the conversation around inclusivity and safety continues to grow.