An 18-year-old Minnesota high school student has filed a discrimination complaint against a Buffalo Wild Wings in Owatonna, Minnesota, after alleging that a server followed her into the women’s restroom, banged on the stall door, and demanded she “prove” she was born female.
According to the teen, identified as Gerika Mudra, the incident happened while she was dining at the restaurant with a friend on Easter Sunday.
Mudra says she had just entered the restroom when a server confronted her, accusing her of being male and insisting she prove otherwise.
“I unzipped my hoodie and showed her I had breasts,” Mudra said, adding that she was wearing a shirt at the time. “Then she just walked out. She didn’t even apologize or anything.”
Mudra, who identifies as lesbian and is not transgender, says she has faced similar restroom confrontations in the past, but this incident was far more aggressive.
“Typically, when people tell me it’s a women’s restroom, I reveal my sex and it’s fine. But this time she kept it going, made a scene, and even raised her voice. It made me feel very uncomfortable,” she said.
Her attorney, speaking in a video posted by Gender Justice on Instagram, described the ordeal as “cruel and humiliating” and explained that Minnesota law offers strong protections. Under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, public businesses cannot discriminate against individuals based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or failure to conform to sex stereotypes — including situations where a person is wrongly perceived as transgender.
“This is part of a broader problem,” her attorney said. “The rise of anti-trans panic harms everyone, because stereotypes about what women should look like are enforced in invasive and harmful ways. Everyone should be able to use the bathroom in peace.”
Mudra says she now suffers from anxiety and avoids public restrooms altogether for fear of being harassed or even arrested. Her discrimination complaint could lead to a lawsuit against Buffalo Wild Wings.
The restaurant chain has not publicly commented on the allegations.
