Female inmate sues over attack by male-born prisoner in women's facility

A female inmate in Washington state has filed a federal lawsuit against corrections officials after alleging she was violently attacked by a male-born prisoner housed in a women’s facility under the state’s gender-identity housing policy. Faith Booher-Smith, incarcerated at the Washington Corrections Center for Women, claims she was assaulted by Christopher Williams, a convicted sex offender who was transferred to the prison after identifying as female. According to the lawsuit, the August 2025 attack occurred in a common area, where Williams allegedly struck Booher-Smith from behind, grabbed her hair, and kicked her repeatedly. She suffered facial injuries, including bruising, swelling, and a laceration inside her mouth. The lawsuit, supported by the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR) and the America First Policy Institute, argues that the attack was a predictable consequence of Washington’s policy allowing inmates to be housed based on gender identity rather than biological sex. The policy permits male inmates to request placement in women’s facilities, potentially sharing cells, bathrooms, and showers with female prisoners. The complaint alleges that such housing arrangements have led to multiple instances of violence and sexual abuse against female inmates. Washington’s policy relies on self-identification, with limited objective requirements for transfer.