For Immediate Release
December 23, 2020
Contacts:
Gregg Kelley, Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs
[email protected], 202-319-1070
Washington, D.C. – Seth Canada has reached a settlement with the National United Methodist Church (NUMC) and Friendship Place (“Defendants”) in the case he filed against them in DC Superior Court, in which he alleged discriminatory treatment on the basis of his gender identity. Defendants agreed to make a payment in full satisfaction of Mr. Canada’s claims, including attorneys’ fees and costs.
“While no amount of money equals nor should it replace justice for what I endured, I feel relieved to be able to put this case behind me to dedicate my time and efforts toward graduating from college and applying to law schools,” said Mr. Canada. “Getting hit while he’s down doesn’t define a man. How he picks himself up demonstrates true strengths in his character.”
Mr. Canada’s life is a story of resilience. After NUMC refused to act on his application for housing at St. Luke’s Shelter—a small residence with private rooms—because he is transgender, Mr. Canada was left with no other option but to continue staying at a men’s shelter tightly packed with up to 180 people a night in an enclosed warehouse facility. Almost 23 months after receiving an email through Friendship Place stating NUMC’s refusal to house “someone who is transgender,” Mr. Canada contracted COVID-19 while remaining at Adams Place.
Despite these formidable obstacles and discriminatory treatment, Mr. Canada has continued excelling and steadfastly advocating for the rights of individuals with intersectional identities like his own, particularly LGBTQ+ persons of color who may also be immigrants and/or first-generation. Mr. Canada currently attends Georgetown University on four scholarships he has earned for his voluntary advocacy in uplifting LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities and future career plans. Once he completes his studies at Georgetown, Mr. Canada plans to attend law school, in furtherance of working toward his goal to become a civil rights and immigration attorney.
Mr. Canada has requested that we include the following guidelines for reporting on transgender issues: https://www.glaad.org/reference/covering-trans-community and https://transjournalists.org/style-guide/.
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ABOUT THE WASHINGTON LAWYERS’ COMMITTEE: Founded in 1968, The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs works to create legal, economic and social equity through litigation, client and public education and public policy advocacy. While we fight discrimination against all people, we recognize the central role that current and historic race discrimination plays in sustaining inequity and recognize the critical importance of identifying, exposing, combatting and dismantling the systems that sustain racial oppression. For more information, please visit www.washlaw.org or call 202.319.1000. Follow us on Twitter at @WashLaw4CR.