A transgender woman is suing San Diego County, alleging that she was placed in a jail cell with men, one of whom beat her.
Kristina Frost says she was jailed in downtown San Diego with three men on Nov. 25, 2020, and that the cell was “minimally monitored.” The complaint was filed Tuesday in San Diego federal court, according to CBS 8.
Despite allegedly knowing she was trans, Frost says the staff at the jail still placed her in the cell after she was arrested on an unspecified book-and-release charge. The suit alleges that one of the men began punching her in the head at night and caused two jaw fractures.
“While many law-enforcement agencies have made significant progress towards better serving the LGBTQ community it is abundantly clear that disparities in service, treatment, and enforcement still exist,” San Diego Pride wrote in a statement. “Transgender women are women and should be treated accordingly. Law enforcement officials and agencies who are not following the law should be held accountable to their actions. We welcome everyone to engage in the ongoing criminal justice education and advocacy reform work needed in-service to the LGBT community.”
Frost alleges in the suit that while the man was “eventually” removed from her cell, she had to wait 12 hours before getting medical attention.
The suit references a history of “failing to protect people in the county’s care and custody.” San Diego County jails have the highest mortality rate among the larger counties in California, with at least 140 people dying in county custody between 2009 and 2019, the suit claims.
