A female inmate in Washington state is suing corrections officials after she says she was brutally attacked by a male inmate housed in a women’s prison under the state’s gender identity housing policy.
Faith Buch-Smith, who is incarcerated at the Women’s Correctional Center in Washington, claims in a federal lawsuit that she was “violently assaulted” by inmate Christopher Williams, a convicted sex offender who was transferred to the prison after identifying as a woman.
According to the complaint, the August 2025 attack occurred in a common area when Williams allegedly approached Buch-Smith from behind, punched her in the face, grabbed her by her hair, threw her to the ground and then “repeatedly kicked her.”
She suffered visible injuries, including facial bruising, swelling and lacerations inside her mouth, documents state.
My client was caged and murdered by a biological male in a women’s prison. What about her rights?
A handcuffed man stands behind prison bars.
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The lawsuit, backed by the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR) and backed by America First Policy Institute, argued the attack was a foreseeable result of a policy that allows prisoners to be jailed based on their gender identity rather than their biological sex.
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“The housing of these male inmates with female inmates … resulted in numerous incidents of violence and sexual abuse against female inmates,” the complaint states.
At the center of the lawsuit is Washington’s policy of allowing inmates to apply to be placed in so-called “gender-affirming housing.” The process allows male inmates to be transferred to women’s prisons and, in some cases, share cells, bathrooms and showers with female inmates, according to the document.
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The complaint alleges that the policy relies heavily on self-identification and has limited objective requirements for transfers.
Williams, described in documents as a 6-foot-4-inch, “physically intact” male who was a convicted child sex offender, was transferred to the women’s prison despite previous concerns about his behavior, the lawsuit said.
A correctional officer at the previous prison warned against transferring Williams because of his history of violence, but ultimately failed to comply with the warning, the indictment said.
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Buch-Smith said she noticed Williams observing her and trying to avoid him in the weeks before the incident. She claimed the attack happened suddenly while she was heating food, leaving her with little chance to defend herself.
The lawsuit also calls into question the staff’s response, saying a correctional officer present at the time of the incident froze and did not intervene when the attack occurred.
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Afterwards, Buch-Smith reported ongoing pain, anxiety and trauma, and said she has since sought therapy to deal with the emotional impact of the attack, documents show.
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She is seeking damages and a court order blocking the policy, saying it violates the Constitution by exposing female prisoners to unsafe conditions.
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The lawsuit said the incident was not isolated, saying women at the facility were “physically assaulted, threatened, intimidated or sexually harassed by male inmates with whom they were housed.”
It also pointed to previous complaints and legal filings involving other inmates, saying state officials were aware of potential risks associated with the policy.
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“In a prison environment where prisoners are unable to escape state-imposed conditions, women are forced to live with dangerous disadvantages every waking hour,” the lawsuit states.
National Review previously reported that Williams was accused of sexually harassing female inmates and had previous convictions involving minors and a history of violent behavior.
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The outlet also reported that another inmate filed a complaint under the Prison Rape Elimination Act accusing Williams of inappropriate behavior, and prison officials said some aspects of those allegations were substantiated.
The Washington Department of Corrections told Fox News Digital it does not comment on pending litigation. The agency also confirmed that Williams was transferred out of the Washington Correctional Center for Women last October and was incarcerated at Stafford Creek Correctional Center.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington and the America First Policy Institute for comment.
Original source of the article: Female inmate sues Washington state after allegedly assaulted by male inmate at women’s prison
