On October 22, 2014, a class of prisoners from San Bernardino County Jail filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, under 42 U.S.C. §1983 and various state laws, against the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department and San Bernardino County. The plaintiffs, represented by private counsel and the ACLU of Southern California, sought damages, injunctive relief, and attorney's fees, alleging "systematic discrimination and denial of equal treatment" experienced by gay, lesbian, and transgender prisoners from San Bernardino County Jail. More specifically, the inmates argued that inmates who identified as gay, lesbian, or transgender were transferred and isolated from the general population, where they were denied equal access to opportunities to reduce their sentences, services, and programs and facilities. The inmates also alleged that they were often treated in an abusive and neglectful manner, being subject to derogatory name-calling and severe disciplinary measures.

The plaintiffs filed an amended complaint on January 14, 2015, and a second amended complaint on May 20. The plaintiffs sought to define the following four classes:

The California Damages Class consisting of "individuals who currently are, were in the past (within six months prior to the filing of Veronica Pratt’s Govt. Code §910 claim), or will be in future (until such time as the unlawful policies and practices cease or judgment is entered in this case), GBT inmates housed in the ALT."

The Federal Damages Class consisting of: "individuals who currently are, were in the past (within two years of the filing of this complaint) or will be in future (until such time as the unlawful policies and practices cease or judgment is entered in this case), GBT inmates housed in the ALT."

The California Injunctive Relief Class consisting of "individuals who currently are, or in the future without the intervention of this Court will be, GBT inmates housed in the ALT and subject to the unlawful treatment set forth in this Complaint."

The Federal Injunctive Relief Class consisting of "individuals who currently are, or in the future without the intervention of this court will be, GBT inmates housed in the ALT and subject to the unlawful treatment set forth in this Complaint."

Litigation and discovery continued as the parties progressed toward trial. As of March 2018, the case was ongoing without a ruling on the class certification.

Priyah Kaul - 10/29/2014
Virginia Weeks - 03/24/2018


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