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Court overturns dismissal of Hawaii jail sex therapy lawsuit

A federal appeals court panel says a Hawaii judge incorrectly applied a statute of limitations in dismissing a former inmate’s lawsuit alleging cruel and unusual punishment from a jail therapy program involving “public sexual shaming.”

A 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling today says the woman should have been allowed to amend her lawsuit to say that she wasn’t aware of her psychological trauma until long after she was released from a Kauai jail.

The ruling says the therapy program forced women inmates to speak about their sexual histories before inmates and staff.

Her lawsuit was dismissed because it was filed more than two years after her therapy ended.

In separate lawsuit, a jury found the program didn’t subject women to sexual humiliation and discrimination.

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