That Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady

Wal-Mart Stores, which built its growth on small-town values, got hit with a $2 million penalty stemming from alleged small-minded behavior.

A New Jersey court ordered the Bentonville, Ark., chain to compensate a former cashier in a default judgment on an anti-discrimination lawsuit. The former employee sued Wal-Mart in May, claiming he was harassed after a supervisor discovered that he was undergoing a male-to-female sex-change operation. The retailer never responded to the suit.

While working at the Piscataway, N.J., store, Ricky Bourdouvis dressed as a woman. But after a store manager reviewed his job application – finding the employee had checked “male” for sex — Bourdouvis says he confided his secret, and was then harassed and discriminated against.

Wal-Mart is said to have a history of ignoring lawsuits. The company has stated that it would work harder to address legal requests, though it's the target of thousands of actions, both large and small.