Sexual Discrimination At Eastern Airlines

            Sexual Discrimination at Eastern Airlines?.
             All sorts of discrimination have occurred through the ages: discrimination upon basis of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, sex, etc. Sometimes discrimination seems to have its place, for example, when a certain job requires a specific degree for employment. However, ever more increasingly the public is made aware of sexual discrimination in the workplace. An even hotter topic is the discrimination against workers on the basis of sexual orientation and sexual preference. In many cases, since explicit laws do not govern bias against people on the basis of sexual orientation, many people who feel they have been a victim rely on the amendment to the constitution governing sexual discrimination. This is such a case. It is important to examine the issues, facts, stakeholders, to determine what, if any, alternative actions Eastern Airlines could have taken to prevent the lawsuit that occurred.
             First off, the issues must be clearly defined. The main moral issue is whether an employer should be able to discriminate against its employees upon the basis of sexual identity or orientation. Another issue is whether the law against sex discrimination applies to transsexuals. Other issues include the mental stableness of Ulane and whether she was still able to perform her job adequately following her sex change operation.
             The facts of the case are as follows. Kenneth Ulane was born a genetic man. Kenneth had been a distinguished officer in the Army. He joined Eastern airlines in 1968. Following years of psychiatric consultation, Ulane decided to undergo a sex-change operation in 1980. After the operation, Karen (her new name) was not reinstated as a pilot by Eastern. At that time there were only 2 female pilots at Eastern. Ulane believed that she had been discriminated upon the basis of her being female. She brought lawsuit to them on the basis of sexual discrimination.