Importance Score: 75 / 100 🔴
Transgender Inmate Sues Trump, Citing “Transphobic Hate Speech” and Prison Assaults
A transgender woman, serving time for homicide, has filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump, asserting that his “transphobic hate speech” incited multiple incidents of sexual abuse she experienced while incarcerated in an all-male Indiana correctional facility. This legal action highlights ongoing debates surrounding the treatment and safety of transgender inmates within the prison system.
Autumn Cordellionè, also known as Jonathan C. Richardson, claims the former president’s “extremist rhetoric” prompted her attackers to violently abuse and rape her in January, shortly after her transfer from protective custody to Westville Correctional Facility where she’s serving a 55-year sentence.
In the 13-page handwritten suit, submitted to the Southern District of Indiana on April 1, she alleges Trump is “negligent due his alleged knowledge that others may act on his words.”
Details of the Lawsuit
Cordellionè is pursuing $3.5 million in damages from the former commander in chief.
When approached for comment on the legal action, a White House spokesperson stated to The Post, “President Trump has vowed to defend biological women from gender ideology extremism and restore biological truth to the Federal government.”
Allegations of Negligence and Complicity
Cordellionè claims that prison staff, also named in the suit, disregarded her claims of sexual assault, allegedly stating that “tax payers” shouldn’t have to pay for her surgery, the complaint indicated.
The convicted killer further asserted that her assailants referenced Trump during the assaults.
- “Trump’s president now, and we won’t even get in trouble for f–king you trannies up,” Cordellionè wrote in her complaint.
- “We’re patriots and even if you tell on us, Trump will pardon us and probably give us a medal.”
Prison Conditions and Eighth Amendment Rights
Cordellionè described “gang affiliated inmates” stabbing and sexually assaulting her over a four-day period in late January, according to the court documents.
She also alleged that her Eighth Amendment rights, protecting against cruel and unusual punishment, were violated.
Background and Previous Legal Actions
Cordellionè, convicted in 2001 of reckless homicide for strangling her 11-month-old stepdaughter, previously made headlines in February 2024. She sued an Indiana prison chaplain for allegedly denying her the right to wear a hijab and rejecting her identity as a transgender woman. This case, along with the current lawsuit, highlights the legal battles and challenges faced by transgender individuals within the correctional system.
Department of Corrections Response
The Indiana Department of Corrections did not offer any comment on if Cordellionè was ousted from protective custody because of Trump’s executive order forcing federal prisoners to be housed in units based on their biological sex.