Bianca Lucrecia v. Samuel Samples, et al.

Bianca Lucrecia (plaintiff) was a transgender woman. In January 1986, during Lucrecia’s transition, she was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. Lucrecia was initially assigned to a coed prison in California. She resided in the male section of the prison but was permitted to wear female clothing and use female amenities. In 1990, Lucrecia was transferred to another coed prison in Kentucky and lived in the female section. In 1991, Lucrecia was transferred to the Federal Prison Camp in Boron, California (Boron), a lower security all-male facility. There, Lucrecia roomed with three men, was not permitted to wear female undergarments, and was harassed, assaulted, and abused by other inmates and prison officials. Lucrecia filed a complaint with Larry Taylor (defendant), the warden of Boron, who denied Lucrecia’s request to be treated as a woman. Lucrecia then sent a letter to Samuel Samples (defendant), the western regional director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, complaining of the unlawful conduct by Boron prison staff. The letter was forwarded to Taylor, who did not act regarding it. Lucrecia filed suit, alleging, among other things, violation of her right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment, against Taylor; Samples; T. McAfee (defendant), the associate warden at Boron; and Captain James Earp (defendant), an officer at Boron (collectively, the prison officials); as well as 20 Doe parties. The prison officials and Doe parties moved for summary judgment.