The Supreme Court on Monday vacated a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit that had allowed a lawsuit by a transgender inmate to proceed. The justices sent the case back to the lower court, pointing to their recent rulings in cases involving transgender issues in sports and surgeries for minors.
The lawsuit was brought by an inmate against the El Paso County, Colorado, jail. The inmate argued that being subjected to full-body searches by male officers and being housed in male facilities violated constitutional rights.
A lower court initially dismissed the lawsuit, but the 10th Circuit reversed that decision. The appeals court ruled that gender identity is part of the sex-based protections covered under the Equal Protection Clause.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The Supreme Court is applying its recent rulings on transgender issues to the context of prisons and the Equal Protection Clause.
- The legal question of whether gender identity is a protected class under the Equal Protection Clause remains in flux after the Court's decision.
- The case has direct implications for the rights and treatment of transgender people in government custody nationally.
Background
The case stems from a lawsuit over strip searches and housing in an El Paso County, Colorado jail. The 10th Circuit had ruled that gender identity falls under the Equal Protection Clause's protections, allowing the suit to go forward. The Supreme Court has now vacated that appellate ruling.
What to Watch
- The 10th Circuit's reassessment of the case under the Supreme Court's guidance.
- The impact on other inmate lawsuits involving gender identity and equal protection.
- The possibility of a future Supreme Court ruling on the constitutional question if the case returns.
Checked
10 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 10 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe Supreme Court vacated an appeals court ruling in a transgender inmate case.Washington Examiner: “The Supreme Court tossed a federal appeals court ruling on Monday in a dispute over a strip search of a transgender inmate”
- SupportedThe Supreme Court acted on Monday.Washington Examiner: “The Supreme Court tossed a federal appeals court ruling on Monday”
- SupportedThe ruling was by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.Washington Examiner: “The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit had sided with a biologically male inmate”
- SupportedThe appeals court ruling had allowed the inmate’s lawsuit to proceed.Washington Examiner: “The 10th Circuit reversed a lower court’s decision to toss the lawsuit, allowing it to move forward”
- SupportedThe Supreme Court sent the case back to a lower court.Washington Examiner: “sending it back to the lower court”
- SupportedThe Supreme Court pointed to recent rulings involving transgender issues in sports and surgeries for minors.Washington Examiner: “while pointing to the high court’s recent rulings in transgender cases over sports and surgeries for minors.”
- SupportedThe lawsuit was brought by an inmate against the El Paso County, Colorado, jail.Washington Examiner: “after an El Paso County, Colorado , jail tried to dismiss a lawsuit over the transgender inmate’s treatment.”
- SupportedThe inmate argued that full-body searches by male officers and housing in male facilities violated the inmate’s constitutional rights.Washington Examiner: “The transgender inmate argued that being subjected to full-body searches by male officers and being housed in male facilities violated the inmate’s constitutional rights”
- SupportedA lower court initially dismissed the lawsuit, before the 10th Circuit reversed that decision.Washington Examiner: “The 10th Circuit reversed a lower court’s decision to toss the lawsuit”
- SupportedThe 10th Circuit ruled that gender identity is part of the sex-based protections covered under the Equal Protection Clause.Washington Examiner: “ruled that gender identity is part of the sex-based protections covered under the Equal Protection Clause”