Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Maine Prison Officials Over Transgender Inmate Housing

A federal lawsuit filed late Friday has intensified the national debate over prison housing policies in Maine. Inmate Katie Mountain is suing the Maine Department of Corrections (MDOC) and fellow prisoner Andrea Balcer, alleging sexual assault and systemic harassment.

The 30-page complaint, filed in U.S. District Court, names MDOC Commissioner Randall Liberty and Warden Ben Beal as defendants alongside Balcer. Mountain, 41, alleges that prison officials failed to protect her after she was forced to share a cell with a violent offender.

Andrea Balcer, formerly known as Andrew Balcer, is serving a 40-year sentence for the 2016 murders of parents Alice and Antonio Balcer. Balcer was also convicted of killing the family dog during the Halloween night stabbings.

According to the lawsuit, Balcer trapped Mountain in a bathroom and forcibly kissed her. The filing further alleges that Balcer made graphic sexual threats, including claims of intent to rape and impregnate Mountain.

Court documents detail a specific threat in which Balcer allegedly told Mountain that if she did not wake up, it was because she had been smothered with a pillow. Mountain claims she reported the behavior to staff at least six times without resolution.

The situation reportedly escalated when Mountain refused to re-enter her cell with Balcer. She alleges that instead of addressing the safety concerns, prison officials placed her in segregation and revoked her eligibility for early release.

This legal action comes as the U.S. Department of Justice, under President Donald Trump, expands its investigation into Maine’s correctional practices. Attorney General Pamela Bondi recently announced a probe into whether housing biological males in women's facilities violates constitutional rights.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon stated that the administration will not allow incarcerated women to be subject to unconstitutional risks of harm. The DOJ is currently reviewing similar conditions in California.

Maine’s current policy requires housing decisions to align with an inmate's self-declared gender identity. Governor Janet Mills has dismissed the federal investigation as politically motivated, while MDOC officials maintain they are following state law.

The outcome of the lawsuit remains pending as investigators look into the timeline of the reported events. Mountain is seeking damages and a review of the circumstances that led to her disciplinary status.