A federal judge has temporarily stopped prison officials from transferring a transgender woman to a men’s facility and denying her gender-affirming care, following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump.
U.S. District Judge George O’Toole granted a temporary restraining order on Sunday while the case remains sealed. During a hearing in Boston on Thursday, O’Toole confirmed that the inmate—identified in court filings as Maria Moe—had been returned to the general prison population after being placed in a “special housing unit” and had resumed receiving hormone therapy, according to her legal team.
O’Toole, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, instructed the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to maintain Moe’s current status while he deliberates on a longer injunction.
Moe filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Sunday, challenging an executive order that mandates federal recognition of only two sexes—male and female—and prohibits federal funding for what Trump and his administration refer to as “gender ideology.” The order, signed on Trump’s first day back in office, explicitly bans women’s prisons and detention centers from housing transgender women. It further directs the attorney general to ensure BOP enforcement, including restrictions on funding gender-affirming care for inmates.
Moe’s attorneys argued that transferring her to a men’s prison would expose her to severe risks of harassment, violence, and sexual assault. Having begun hormone therapy as a teenager and with no history of violent infractions, Moe had never been housed in a men’s facility before. Until January, BOP records listed her sex as “female.” However, in compliance with Trump’s executive order, prison officials moved her to a “special housing unit” on January 25, where she was isolated for at least four days, her lawyers stated.
“The outcome of yesterday’s hearing was a huge relief to Maria Moe. She is back in the general population and receiving necessary medical care,” said Jennifer Levi, an attorney with GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders. Levi, alongside the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the law firm Lowenstein Sandler LLP, is representing Moe in her case.
“Trump’s Gender Ideology Executive Order is contrary to the health and safety of incarcerated people, undermines prison security for all, and protects no one. It’s part of a sustained attack on transgender people’s inclusion in civic life,” Levi added.
She emphasized the importance of judicial oversight, stating, “The courts remain an important backstop. This ruling is a great first step in the case.”