Overview

• Autumn Cordellioné, a transgender inmate serving 55 years for the 2001 death of her stepdaughter, filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump on April 1, 2025.
• Cordellioné alleges that Trump's transphobic rhetoric incited prison staff and fellow inmates to sexually assault and stab her in January 2025 after being transferred to an all-male facility.
• The lawsuit claims the assaults violated her Eighth Amendment rights and seeks $3.5 million in damages from Trump, prison employees, and other inmates.
• Judge Richard Young recently ordered Indiana's Department of Corrections to provide Cordellioné with sex-reassignment surgery, a decision currently being appealed by the state attorney general.
• The case highlights ongoing legal battles over transgender rights in prisons, including disputes over taxpayer-funded surgeries and safety concerns in housing assignments.