March 31, 2023 The Newspaper Serving LGBT Los Angeles

Gay Man files federal civil rights suit against LA Sheriff

Anthony Oliver, provided by Anthony Oliver
Anthony Oliver, provided by Anthony Oliver

BY TROY MASTERS  |  gay Los Angeles County man says that after his March 2015 arrest he was held in a small closet with several other inmates and no seating.  He claims he was told it was for his “own protection” but was called a “fucking faggot” by a deputy who assaulted him when he asked for a chair.

Anthony Oliver, 33, filed a federal civil rights complaint on December 17, 2015 in which he claims straight inmates are placed in larger cells with a private toilet, a TV, phone and reading material.

Los Angeles County jails and court detainees who are LGBT are placed in a separate facility called “K6G.”Oliver is gay, disabled and wears a back brace.

“In the Metro traffic courthouse, ‘K6G’ inmates are treated far worse than that of general population,” Oliver says in his complaint. “At the time plaintiff was taken to court in 2015, plaintiff was housed, like other LGBT inmates, in a small room with one stool, the size of a mop closet, awaiting his court appearance. The room was formerly an attorney-client meeting room with only one stool, and was converted for use by the LA County Sheriff’s Department for LGBT inmates at the time of the incident.

“Plaintiff is informed and believes that in some of the court lock-ups in the Los Angeles County Superior Courts, ‘K6G’ inmates are kept, instead of cells, in ‘utility rooms’ or ‘mop closets’ that are separate from the holding cells that are designed to accommodate non-LGBT inmates awaiting court appearances,” Oliver’s complaint continues.

“There is no reason for housing ‘K6G’ inmates in non-cell facilities, as opposed to having a segregated cell or holding tank where they can be housed awaiting court,” the complaint maintains.

“Among other things, ‘K6G’ inmates endure substantially worse conditions of confinement simply because they are LGBT persons and members of the gay community, or are transgender and have a different sexual identity. The conditions and treatment the ‘K6G’ inmates are subjected to in the court lock-ups should not be tolerated. LGBT inmates are being discriminated against intentionally based on their status as a result of this custody arrangement.

“Although the county and department owe a duty to protect LGBT inmates from harm by providing protection, that does not allow LGBT persons to be subjected to worse conditions of incarceration,” says Oliver in the complaint.

In addition to being placed in the ‘mop closet,’ Oliver says he was treated harshly and physically so by one of the guards while waiting to make his court appearance.

Oliver claims he was recovering from back surgery and in a back brace when he was arrested. He was placed in the closet sized room with two other men and because there was only one stool, he requested a chair from guards. He says one guard called him a “fucking faggot” before lifting him off the ground, slamming him against the wall and placing him back in the cell.

Oliver says other deputies witnessed the assault but did nothing. When he complained to a supervisor he was threatened and warned not to report the assault, according to the complaint.

Oliver says the assault caused further damage to his back, requiring surgery.

Anthony Oliver's back.

The sheriff’s department is aware of the “brutal, unconstitutional practices” inflicted on LGBT  inmates at detention facilities but has failed to curb the problem, the complaint says.

maxresdefault
Sheriff Jim McDonnell

Los Angeles County treats “LGBT people much different than any other inmates in violation of their equal protection rights under the law,” according to the complaint.

Oliver’s suit also names Sheriff Jim McDonnell; Court Services Bureau commander Kevin Goran; watch commander Jeff Adams; and deputies Isaias Marin, Jr, Don Manumaleuna, Michael Kassabian, Nancy Aleman, Gerald Denson, Steven Kale and R. Alvarez as defendants.

The lawsuit includes claims for civil rights violations, supervisorial liability, an Americans with Disabilities Act claim and assault and battery. Oliver seeks general, compensatory and statutory damages, as well as punitive damages against individual defendants.

UCLA’s Williams Institute highlighted a 2013 article published by Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology that claims the Compared to life in the general population, K6G inmates live relatively free of sexual assault and are free to express their personal identity and sense of self in a way that is psychologically healthier than the typical prison experience.

Oliver is represented by David McLane of Kaye, McLane, Bednarski, & Litt in Pasadena, California.

In 2014, McLane and the American Civil Liberties Union represented 15 gay, bisexual and transgender inmates at a San Bernardino County jail, in a class action claiming the county routinely subjected LGBT inmates to harsh treatment.

in NEWS
Related Posts

Long Beach Businesses with LGBTQ Flags Vandalized

March 24, 2023

March 24, 2023

By Susan Payne Three businesses in Long Beach have reported windows smashed in with one common denominator: visible LGBTQ symbols. ...

Newsom Calls Huntington Beach City Council Decision ‘Rank’

March 24, 2023

March 24, 2023

By Susan Payne Huntington Beach garnered disapproval from Governor Gavin Newsom on its recent decision to ban the flying of...

California’s Affordable Housing Crisis Disproportionately Impacts LGBTQ Adults, UCLA Study Finds

March 24, 2023

March 24, 2023

New Report by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research highlights the connection between lack of affordable housing, delayed access...

Santa Monica Place Invites LGBTQIA+ Artisans to Apply for Made With PRIDE Marketplace

March 21, 2023

March 21, 2023

Partnering with Streetlet, the marketplace will take place each weekend in June and showcase local goods made in Southern California....

Gus Kenworthy’s Gay Kiss Scene in ‘80 for Brady’ Cut Out

March 14, 2023

March 14, 2023

By Susan Payne “80 for Brady,” a 2023 comedy/drama film that follows a group of longtime friends who want to...

Abbey Founder Declares Drag is Not A Crime

March 14, 2023

March 14, 2023

By Susan Payne “Drag is not a crime.” In solidary with drag performers, David Cooley, founder of The Abbey Food...

Grants Available for Long Beach LGBTQ-Owned or Allied Restaurants

March 14, 2023

March 14, 2023

By Susan Payne LGBTQ-owned or allied restaurants in Long Beach are invited to apply for Grubhub’s Community Impact Grants ranging...

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Moves to Ease Restrictions on Blood Donations from Gay and Bisexual Men

March 9, 2023

March 9, 2023

The City of West Hollywood is getting the word out that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued proposed...

Board of Supervisors Approves Motion to Fly Progress Pride Flag in LA County Offices

March 9, 2023

March 9, 2023

Flags will be flown at Los Angeles County facilities where American and California flags are flown each year ​​Los Angeles...

Donatella Versace Visits the Los Angeles LGBT Center

March 9, 2023

March 9, 2023

Hosts master class with CFDA designers This week, the Los Angeles LGBT Center welcomed Donatella Versace, the Chief Creative Officer...

Versace Partners With CFDA on LGBTQ-Focused Initiative

March 6, 2023

March 6, 2023

By Susan Payne Donatella Versace is launching a masterclass at the Los Angeles LGBT Center on March 6 in partnership...

Suspect Pleads Guilty to Killing Los Angeles-Born Gay Man in 1988

March 6, 2023

March 6, 2023

By Susan Payne Last month, an Australian man pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 1988 death of an American who...

Bill Introduced for K-12 Statewide Gender-Neutral Restrooms

March 6, 2023

March 6, 2023

By Susan Payne A bill to require K-12 schools in California to provide appropriate and equitable access to gender-neutral restrooms...

UCLA’s New Volleyball Coach’s Gay Journey Reaches Full Circle

March 1, 2023

March 1, 2023

By Susan Payne Playing volleyball in a West Hollywood gym is where Alfred Reft became comfortable with his sexuality, alongside...

Girl Scouts Make Sales at WeHo Bars

March 1, 2023

March 1, 2023

By Susan Payne A Glendale, California Girl Scout has found a new market for cookie sales in West Hollywood.  In...