Home News Transgender woman says she was housed in the male section of a jail where she was subjected to illegal searches, and was denied medical care and access to her hormone treatments; lawsuit

Transgender woman says she was housed in the male section of a jail where she was subjected to illegal searches, and was denied medical care and access to her hormone treatments; lawsuit

by Erica Knowles

The transgender woman claims she faced discrimination after she was put in solitary confinement. The transgender woman also said that she was denied medical treatment and she was housed in the men’s facility. She has filed a lawsuit and seeks to ensure no other transgender people are subjected to such abuses. According to the lawsuit, the staff subjected the transgender woman to illegal searches and denied her access to prescribed medications, including antidepressants and hormone treatments, triggering severe withdrawal symptoms.

The 23-year-old transgender woman from New York, Makyyla Holland, filed a lawsuit on March 29 against the BCSO and the jail staff. The transgender woman is reportedly seeking redress for violence, denial of medical care and discrimination inflicted on her because she is transgender, the NYCLU reports.

The lawsuit seeks to ensure no other transgender people are subjected to such abuses.

The complaint filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union, the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF), and counsel Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, argues that their client’s rights were violated under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, Americans with Disabilities Act, and other federal and state laws.

It seeks compensation for Holland’s treatment while in the county’s custody.

According to the lawsuit, during the 6 weeks the transgender woman spent in custody, the BCSO and its corrections officers discriminated against Ms. Holland on the basis of her $ex, transgender status and disability.

They reportedly subjected her to illegal searches and denied her access to prescribed medications, including antidepressants and hormone treatments, triggering severe withdrawal symptoms.

Makyyla Holland reportedly said: “I was humiliated by the jail staff because I am a transgender woman. I was harassed, mocked, misgendered and worse: jail staff strip-searched me, beat me up, placed me in the male section of the jail, and withheld my hormones for a period of time, forcing me to go into agonizing withdrawal.

No person’s gender identity gives jail staff the authority to harm them, and Broome County law enforcement and jail staff must be held accountable for their actions. The abuses that police and jail staff across New York state commit against transgender New Yorkers must end.”

The 23-year-old transgender woman was reportedly physically attacked by male officers after expressing fear of stripping in front of them given that she is a woman, according to WSKG.

The staff then housed her in a men’s facility, where she was forced to shower in full view of male staff and men in custody.

Many times, the 23-year-old transgender woman was reportedly placed in isolated confinement because of her transgender status. She was repeatedly denied access to bras, women’s underwear, deodorant and cosmetics that are provided by the county jail to women in custody.

According to the lawsuit, transgender individuals are entitled to be housed in jail facilities consistent with their gender identity, to receive gender-affirming care, and to be otherwise treated with dignity in a manner consistent with their gender identity. 

Attorney at the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, Shayna Medley, released thh following statement:

“No one should be subjected to violence, forced into unsafe housing conditions, or denied necessary medical care while in jail. When county and jail staff single out transgender people for this kind of mistreatment and abuse, it violates the Constitution and federal and state law.”

Attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union, Bobby Hodgson, reportedly said: “The mistreatment and abuse of transgender women by jail and prison staff is widespread across New York State. 

Thanks to Ms. Holland’s courage and persistence, we’re taking action today to make it clear that jails and prisons statewide have an obligation to treat transgender people with dignity. We will continue fighting for the safety of transgender people across New York State.”

Former U.S. Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, who now works as a litigation partner at Paul, Weiss representing Ms. Holland, released the following statement:

“Trans, non-binary and gender-expansive people, particularly Black trans women, are incarcerated at highly disproportionate rates. 

Our jails and prisons must adopt and adhere to policies that respect gender identity and expression, and prohibit harassment, discrimination and violence against TGNCNBI people.”

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