Transgender girl suffers broken jaw at D.C. juvenile detention center’s male housing unit.

A transgender girl has been hospitalized after suffering multiple injuries, including a broken jaw, while housed in a male unit of a juvenile detention center in Washington, D.C. Her age was not disclosed, but she was one of two residents sent to the hospital on July 7 following violent incidents at the Youth Services Center.

Turnesha Fish, interim chief of staff at the city’s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS), confirmed these details. Both incidents were deemed isolated, and officials have initiated a comprehensive review.

It has been reported that five teenagers have been charged for their involvement in the assault against the transgender resident. Sam Abed, the director of DYRS, condemned the incidents as “unacceptable” and stressed that they are being taken “very seriously” by the agency.

He acknowledged the staff’s prompt actions in de-escalating the situations, adding that such incidents do not align with the agency’s values or standards of care. In response to the events, the department officials have separated the involved residents and reassigned them to different housing units.

The DYRS has a classification policy for LGBTQ youth, which states that housing assignments consider information shared during the intake process and recommendations from healthcare providers. The policy emphasizes that all decisions regarding classification and housing should be based on the individual needs of each youth, prioritizing their physical and emotional well-being.

According to this policy, transgender and intersex youth are not automatically housed according to their sex assigned at birth. Furthermore, the policy has been in effect since 2012 and ensures that staff take residents’ perceptions of safety into account.

Youth in the facility can also request a review of their housing placement if they feel unsafe.