Trans woman left with fractured jaw after being placed in male prison, new lawsuit claims
According to a new lawsuit filed against the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, a transgender woman was attacked after being placed in a male prison.
Plaintiff Kristina Frost, a transgender woman, was left severely injured after officers placed her in a male prison, in a cell with three men. Despite her DMW records and drivers’ license identifying the victim as a woman, the cops repeatedly misgendered her both in person and in official reports.
On November 25, 2020, Frost was arrested following accusations of a minor crime. As Unilad reports, the new lawsuit filed earlier this month states she was supposed to be a “book and release” defendant. Although she should not have been in custody for an extended period of time, cops put her in the Men’s Central Jail.
Initially, Frost was out in a holding cell, but she was later moved into another cell with three men already inside. Despite desperately trying not to close her eyes, she eventually fell asleep. She soon woke up as one of the men started beating her.
As per the San Diego Tribune, Frost was left with a fractured jaw following the brutal assault. She was left in custody for over 12 hours without receiving medical help. Meanwhile, deputies were allegedly watching the man beating the trans woman but did nothing to stop him.
After Frost was released, she reportedly had two fractures in her jaw, which required two surgeries.
The lawsuit states:
“Sadly — and foreseeably — one of the men in the cell viciously attacked Ms. Frost. His closed-fist punches to Ms. Frost’s face resulted in serious bodily injuries, including a broken jaw, so far requiring two surgeries to repair.”
According to the claim, Deputy Mason Cassidy should also be held responsible, as he was allegedly one of the officers believed to have decided to place Frost in the cell with the three men. This unfortunate decision was proved to be in contrast with a training bulletin issued by the Sheriff’s Department that says: “An arrestee should be taken to a facility that coincides with the arrestee’s gender identity.”
The bulletin continues:
“It is the policy of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department to receive, evaluate, house, and provide secure, safe, and humane custody of all persons, including transgender, intersex, and non-binary persons.
Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) community, are among those most at risk for incidents of sexual abuse.”
The lawsuit also claims that the assault against Frost was a “foreseeable result of department personnel ignoring critical information, failing to protect people in the county’s care and failing to adequately monitor individuals in the county’s care and custody.” It accuses Sheriff Bill Gore and his senior command staff of fostering a dangerous environment throughout the county’s jail system.
