A good reason not to hire transgenders. You can’t use that as a reason, but if everything else is equal (qualifications) and you document the hiring/interview process enough to fight a bogus lawsuit, a manager is better off hiring the non-transgender. Not just about losing $60k but the team dynamic leading up to and after it.
I’d guess this wasn’t simply about greed (for the he/she/they/it tho probably for the lawyer) but also about advancing the cause. Very short-sighted since it actually hurts the cause the next time a transgender wants a job.
This person didn’t admit to being “transgender” until after she was hired. Administrators probably thought she was just a regular lesbian.