Prison doctor settles with state over LGBTQ discrimination

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)| A psychologist at a California prison is receiving $275,000 to settle her lawsuit alleging that she was twice locked in a room with a dangerous inmate in retaliation for reporting mistreatment of gay and transgender inmates.

The Sacramento Bee reported Oct. 17 that Lori Jespersen accepted the settlement in May in return for agreeing to resign from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The lawsuit says she repeatedly reported discrimination of gay and transgender inmates at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville. Jespersen, who is a lesbian, alleged that a corrections officer then harassed her and suggested inmates attack her.

It says an officer locked her in a unit with a prisoner serving multiple life sentences for rape.

Corrections spokeswoman Vicky Waters says the department doesn’t comment on lawsuits.

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