A federal judge has temporarily ordered that biological men who identify as transgender at the Federal Medical Center, Carswell, be kept out of the housing and private areas used by two specific female inmates, following allegations of sexual abuse at the Fort Worth women’s medical prison. Senior U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater issued a narrow temporary restraining order that limits the men’s access to the plaintiffs’ living quarters and female-designated private spaces while the lawsuit plays out.
What The Order Requires
Under the temporary restraining order, prison officials are barred from allowing male inmates to enter or remain in female-only privacy areas that either plaintiff uses. That includes showers, restrooms, changing areas, and dormitories where the women are housed, according to the court filing posted on Scribd. To comply, the Bureau of Prisons can either move the male inmates away from the plaintiffs’ housing or place them in a secure, segregated area that still preserves access to programs and services. The filing notes that the order took effect immediately and will expire 14 days after it was entered unless the court extends it.
Allegations Behind The Motion
Plaintiffs Rhonda Ann Fleming and Miriam Crystal Herrera claim they have repeatedly been subjected to voyeurism, harassment, and unwanted intrusions by biological men housed at Carswell, as reported by the Washington Examiner. That report cites Fleming’s complaint alleging that an inmate identified as Kara Sternquist (formerly Michael) molested an incapacitated woman in the prison’s hospital wing on July 19, and says the prison later closed its internal investigation as “unsubstantiated.”
The Examiner also reported that an internal Bureau of Prisons figure shows more than 1,300 male prisoners in federal custody identify as transgender and that 51.3% of those inmates were incarcerated for sex offenses, statistics the plaintiffs point to in their filings.
About FMC Carswell
FMC Carswell is the Federal Bureau of Prisons medical center for female offenders and houses women with significant medical and mental-health needs at a complex on the Naval Air Station near Fort Worth, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Because Carswell is one of the system’s designated facilities for women, the plaintiffs argue there are limited ways to relocate vulnerable inmates without disrupting essential care. That setup is central to their claim that the current housing arrangements uniquely affect their safety and privacy.
How This Fits In National Litigation
The Carswell order lands in the middle of a growing wave of lawsuits over a federal directive that would require prisons to house people by biological sex and restrict gender-affirming care, with several preliminary injunctions already issued in other courts. Legal trackers show multiple active cases and early orders in district and appellate courts as officials, advocates, and judges wrestle with how to balance safety concerns, medical needs, and administrative discretion.
For a broader look at the ongoing litigation and major filings, see the tracker at Just Security and earlier coverage of related injunctions by The Guardian.
Legal Next Steps
The court directed the lawyers to submit available dates between Dec. 8 and Dec. 23 for an evidentiary hearing on whether the plaintiffs exhausted internal prison grievance procedures, according to the order. The judge also set short deadlines for the parties to negotiate and submit any agreed changes to the TRO language.
Judge Fitzwater waived the usual security requirement under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(c), finding that the incarcerated plaintiffs are unable to post a bond. The order emphasizes that it is narrowly tailored to the two named women and the specific private spaces they use, and it states that it does not authorize any action that would conflict with other valid federal court orders.
What It Means Inside Carswell
For now, Fleming and Herrera receive immediate, targeted protections, but the court did not mandate that all transgender-identifying men be removed from the facility. The plaintiffs say other women could seek to intervene or join the case if they want similar relief.
Advocates and litigants on all sides say the dispute highlights how few female-only housing options exist within the federal system and how medical needs at a facility like Carswell complicate any system-wide housing policy. At this point, the court filings and the TRO itself remain the main public record of what the judge has ordered. The Bureau of Prisons has not issued a public statement tied directly to the filing.
