20 women sue San Francisco sheriff over alleged mass strip search at county jail

By AI, Created 5:30 PM UTC, May 22, 2026, /AGP/ – Twenty women detained at San Francisco County Jail No. 2 filed a federal class-action lawsuit Thursday accusing sheriff’s deputies of conducting a coordinated strip search on May 22, 2025 and recording the searches on body cameras. The case adds claims of retaliation and policy violations as survivors hold a vigil at the jail on the anniversary of the alleged search.

Why it matters: - The lawsuit could test how San Francisco jails conduct strip searches of women in custody. - The complaint also raises questions about body-camera use, privacy protections and retaliation inside the jail. - Plaintiffs are seeking jury findings on alleged constitutional and state-law violations.

What happened: - Bertolino Law, PC and The Veen Firm filed a federal class action Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. - The case is on behalf of 20 women detained at San Francisco County Jail No. 2. - Defendants include the City and County of San Francisco, the Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto and individual deputies. - The filing was made on the one-year anniversary of the alleged search. - All of Us or None is hosting a vigil for survivors from noon to 1:30 p.m. Thursday at County Jail No. 2, 425 7th Street.

The details: - The complaint alleges a mass strip search took place May 22, 2025, in B Pod, the women’s housing unit at 425 7th Street. - The filing says about 12 sheriff’s deputies, including male deputies, entered the unit. - Deputies allegedly ordered every woman into the common area under armed supervision and directed them one by one to disrobe and undergo a visual body-cavity inspection. - The complaint alleges male deputies had sightlines into the search area. - The filing says body-worn cameras were activated during the searches, despite Sheriff’s Office policy. - When a deputy asked the supervising sergeant whether to deactivate her camera, the sergeant allegedly said no. - The complaint alleges the sergeant told women the footage might be used for training purposes and would be “just like YouTube” and “just like Cops,” with genitalia “blurred” before release. - The filing also alleges menstruating women were forced to remove sanitary products without replacements. - Women who filed grievances were allegedly placed in administrative segregation. - The complaint says allegedly invasive searches continued in the months after May 22. - The suit brings federal claims under 42 U.S.C. section 1983 for alleged violations of the Fourth, Fourteenth and First Amendments. - The complaint also includes California claims under the Bane Act, Gender Violence Act, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. - Plaintiffs are demanding a jury trial.

Between the lines: - The case centers on two alleged policy breaches: male staff present during women’s strip searches and body cameras used during the searches. - Counsel say the allegations point to a broader pattern, not a one-day incident. - The filing also suggests the women fear retaliation while still housed in the same jail. - The allegations are claims only and have not been proven in court.

What’s next: - The federal case, Sahagun Lopez, et al. v. City and County of San Francisco, et al., is pending in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. - Case number: 3:26-cv-04854. - Counsel from Bertolino Law and The Veen Firm are available for interviews at Thursday’s vigil. - The case will move through the normal litigation process unless the parties reach a resolution.