Trans woman settles lawsuit over lack of hormones in prison
A trans woman has settled her lawsuit after she was denied hormones whilst in prison.
Ashley Diamond, 37, voluntarily dismissed her lawsuit in which she complained that prison officials in the state of Georgia failed to adequately treat her gender dysphoria.
The state has agreed to pay $250,000 to settle the lawsuit, the state Attorney General’s office announced.
However the Southern Poverty Law Center said the amount was different to what the state specified.
“The amount specified by the attorney general’s office is not an accurate representation of the final settlement award,” attorney Chinyere Ezie told the Associated Press.
“Because the SPLC is bound by confidentiality, we are unable to disclose the total settlement amount.”
The lawsuit was filed last year. Diamond’s lawyers said that as well as her own settlement, it has brought about awareness of trans issues for prisoners across the US.
As well as being assessed, but not being referred for hormone therapy, the lawsuit said Diamond was sexually assaulted because she was not given safe accommodation.
Although the state did not accept liability, last April it did file a motion stating that transgender inmates must receive adequate care from prison officials.
Diamond was released in August 2015, after serving around a third of a 12-year sentence for burglary.
