KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County legislators agreed earlier this week to settle two discrimination cases that involved claims of unfair treatment because of the women's underwire bras.
Charlotte Hardin received a $255,000 settlement and Linda Hengel received $155,000.
The two women were longtime employees at the Jackson County Jail.
Hardin worked worked in the law library and Hengel as Inmate Services Coordinator when new metal detectors and an x-ray machine were installed in May 2019 at the detention center, according to the lawsuits.
Hardin came to work on May 16, 2019, and was told she would have to go through the metal detector without it going off.
The suit states Hardin tried several times to get through the metal detector, but each try ended with the detector going off.
She figured out her underwire bra was setting off the metal detector, but she did not have another type of bra to wear to get through the metal detector.
The employee working at the metal detector told Hardin, "I don't know what to tell you. "You can't go in if you don't clear.''
Hardin went home for the day.
About a week later, Hengel found herself in the same situation as Hardin.
She tried, but failed, several times to make it through the metal detector without it going off.
Like Hardin, she did not have another type of bra with her and she left for the day, the suit states.
Both women claimed several instances of discrimination due to their sex, including, "refusing to adjust the settings on the metal detector to differentiate between an underwire bra and other types of metals.''
The policy on underwire bras and the metal detector also caused problems for female attorneys who wanted to meet with their clients at the detention center.
Several attorneys protested the requirements outside the detention center.
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