Delaware bar fined $15,000 for denying transgender woman restroom access

The Delaware Division of Human and Civil Rights levied a $15,000 fine against Hideout Arcade Bar and Grille in Rehoboth Beach after determining that its ID-scanner policy forced transgender customer Kaitie Sorber to use the men’s restroom despite her driver’s license indicating female. Sorber reported that she was denied restroom access in April 2023 and subsequently banned for posting about the policy on social media.

A separate complaint by Kathy Brown resulted in a $2,000 fine for the same owner, Bryan Derrickson, who has appealed both penalties to the Delaware Superior Court, where the matter is still unresolved. Delaware law explicitly protects gender-identity-based bathroom use, and the agency required the bar’s employees to complete anti-discrimination and equal-accommodation training. The ruling highlighted the lack of posted signage and the reliance on government ID to enforce bathroom rules, practices deemed illegal under state law. This case reinforces state enforcement of transgender civil-rights protections.