Federal court throws out intersex inmate's prison-rape lawsuit
A Pennsylvania federal judge dismissed an intersex detainee’s claims of negligent supervision after she was placed with a male inmate.
In a case filed in a Pennsylvania federal court, an intersex detainee who communicates solely in Spanish alleged that prison staff failed to honor her gender identity, keeping her with a male cellmate for nearly two weeks before transferring her to a women’s block. She pursued negligent supervision and retention claims, asserting she was raped while housed with the male inmate. The judge concluded that federal prison regulations grant officials broad discretion over staff oversight, and that the Federal Tort Claims Act prevents lawsuits against the United States for these allegations.
Consequently, the lawsuit was dismissed. The ruling underscores the limits of legal recourse for inmates alleging misconduct under federal law.
Why it matters
The decision highlights the difficulty of suing the federal government for prison misconduct under existing legal protections.
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