By James Myers, OAN Staff
Tuesday, September 24, 2024 8:17 AM
A federal judge has ruled that it is unconstitutional for an Indiana prison to deny inmates gender reassignment surgery following a lawsuit filed against the facility by inmates.
advertisement
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit last year against the Department of Indian Corrections on behalf of Jonathan C. Richardson (aka Autumn Cordleione), a transgender inmate convicted of strangling his 11-month-old stepdaughter in 2001.
Indiana law prohibits corrections departments from using taxpayer money to perform gender reassignment surgery on inmates, but in a lawsuit filed on August 28, 2023, the ACLU argues that the law violates the Eighth Amendment's ban on “cruel and unusual punishment.”
The ACLU lawsuit says the surgery on Richardson, who is currently serving a 55-year sentence for manslaughter, was “medically necessary.”
Judge Richard Young agreed with the arguments last week and ruled in Cordelioune's favour.
“Specifically, Ms. Cordelioune has demonstrated that her gender dysphoria constitutes a serious medical need and that, notwithstanding other medical treatments provided by the Defendants to treat her gender dysphoria, she requires gender reassignment surgery to prevent the risk of serious physical and psychological harm,” the ruling states.
According to the order, the Department of Corrections must take “all reasonable steps” to allow Cordelione to undergo gender reassignment surgery.
The ruling was not without dissent. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, a Republican, said in a post on X that his office would review the judge's ruling but “will certainly appeal this decision.”
“An Indiana inmate convicted of murder is trying to make our taxpayers pay for his gender reassignment surgery! Indiana residents do not want this,” Rokita said.
The ACLU's original complaint alleges that Cordelione was diagnosed with gender dysphoria in 2020 and prescribed female hormones and testosterone blockers, both of which he “has been taking consistently since that time.”
“Accordingly, at this point, gender reassignment surgery is necessary to align her physical identity with her gender identity and alleviate her gender dysphoria,” the lawsuit states.
“She believes that the only treatment for her deep-rooted gender dysphoria and the serious harm it causes is to undergo gender reassignment surgery, specifically testicular removal and vaginoplasty,” the statement said.
Additionally, the lawsuit claims Cordelionet has identified as female since she was six years old and that the inmate is “a woman trapped in a man's body.”
Court documents revealed that Cordelione strangled his then-wife to death their 11-month-old daughter on Sept. 12, 2001, while her then-wife was at work.
Stay up to date! Receive the latest news directly in your email for free. Sign up here: https://www.oann.com/alerts
Advertisement below
Please share this post!
