Minnesota Taxpayers Foot⁣ the Bill for Transgender Inmate’s Surgery and Settlement

About ‍half a million dollars ‍was paid out in taxpayer money after‌ Governor Tim Walz’s Administration ‌settled a lawsuit ‌with a transgender inmate. A new​ watchdog ⁤report concludes that left-wing interest groups representing transgender inmates have effectively drawn up a‍ “litigation and settlement” plan.

According to public records reviewed ‍by taxpayer watchdog OpenTheBooks.com, ⁢Waltz’s office allocated ⁣about $200,000 to Gender Justice, a progressive legal nonprofit focused on⁣ “gender‍ equality,” a year after the group filed⁢ a gender ⁢discrimination complaint against the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC).

The​ complaint​ alleged that DOC discriminated against a⁢ biological male inmate, Christina Lusk, who was denied her request for sex reassignment surgery and⁣ was not⁢ confined to a women’s ‌prison.

Lusk was arrested in December⁣ 2018 and convicted of possession of methamphetamine. While in prison,​ Lusk began hormone treatment and requested “buttock surgery” to remove⁣ his male genitals. As of ⁣January 31, Lusk was released from state ⁤custody and‍ placed under​ supervision.

The settlement ⁤in this ⁤case included a total of $495,000 distributed among the three ​parties. Lusk received $245,903.72, Gender Justice received $198,000, and ⁢Robins Kaplan LLP received $51,096.28 for legal fees.

According to⁢ records provided by OpenTheBooks, in 2023⁣ Gender Justice⁢ received $448,904, including a $5,000 payment from the Minnesota Department‌ of Education. ‌The agreement updated the ​policy without going through the⁢ legislative process, and the Minnesota DOC agreed to ​adopt the⁣ World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) standards of care for gender dysphoric inmates at taxpayer expense.

The law firm, Robins Kaplan LLP, has⁢ donated more than $22,000 to ⁣Walz’s gubernatorial campaign,⁣ including ‍contributions from its honorary chairman, Elliott S. Kaplan. Gender ​Justice’s board includes members of​ the Minnesota Department of Health, part of the Walz administration.

“This story made waves when the deal was first announced,​ but as the money has been followed, taxpayers have a much clearer view⁣ of the settlement and its consequences,” OpenTheBooks spokesman Christopher Nippers told Fox News Digital. “Taxpayers⁣ are used to paying the bills, of course, but this deal also meant that Minnesota changed ‌its⁢ policy‍ toward transgender ​inmates. It avoided the public opinion that ‍comes with legislative debate.”

Transgender policies have been a source of debate ‌between those who argue that parents should have more control over‍ their children’s education and those who ​argue⁤ that LGBT ‍students should be able to decide for⁢ themselves what to tell⁢ their parents and⁤ what not to tell them.

The problem of taxpayer-funded transgender surgeries and confinement behind prison walls‍ has been even more pronounced in liberal states⁤ and cities.⁣ Earlier this year, Colorado‌ became the first state in the country to⁤ establish a separate prison for transgender women.

After a class‍ action lawsuit in 2019, several transgender inmates filed a lawsuit against the Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC), claiming discrimination, harassment, and assault. A judge signed a consent ‍decree that would bring ​additional changes to state prisons, including access to surgical‍ sex reassignment surgery and hormone therapy.

In June, health authorities ‍in the ‌Biden Administration successfully urged the ⁤court to remove age restrictions from guidelines for transgender surgery for adolescents.

Jaime Joseph is a political writer. She leads Senate coverage⁣ for Fox News Digital.