Former OSU student awarded $2.5m settlement by City of Stillwater after jail strip search

STILLWATER, Okla. –A former Oklahoma State University student says she can begin healing after the City of Stillwater agreed to pay more than $2.5 million to settle her civil rights lawsuit.

Claire Hosterman says her civil rights were violated in 2022 when she was stripped and left naked inside a jail cell.

At the time, Hosterman was a senior at Oklahoma State. Her attorney says the experience has had a lasting impact on her life and that the settlement is about accountability rather than money.

According to police, officers first encountered Hosterman in September 2022 while responding to a disturbance call at a bar near campus around 2 a.m. Officers said they were investigating reports that someone was trying to start fights. During that interaction, Hosterman and another person became involved in a confrontation with police and were arrested.

Once inside the Stillwater city jail, Hosterman was questioned during booking before staff attempted to conduct a search. What followed was a struggle that lasted nearly eight minutes. During that time, she was stripped naked by jail staff and later left unclothed on a bench inside a cell.

Body camera footage captures Hosterman objecting, saying she was naked in front of male officers.

Hosterman’s attorney, Dan Smolen, argues the strip search was conducted without proper justification and describes it as both invasive and humiliating. He says male staff, including some who were off duty, were present during the incident, calling the situation a clear violation of her constitutional rights.

In a public statement, Hosterman said:

“What happened to me at the Stillwater City Jail on September 22, 2022, is a disturbing example of abuse of power by law enforcement. I was subjected to abuse, dehumanization, and humiliation by the very institution sworn to serve and protect the community. Over the past four years, I’ve tried to put this experience into words, but it has been incredibly difficult. Each attempt brings intense emotional and physical stress, making it nearly impossible to fully recount what happened. Knowing that this information is now public, especially the deeply vulnerable footage of me being forcibly stripped, is something I am still struggling to process. Even so, I understand the importance of sharing this. People need to see the reality of how I was treated and why I chose to file a lawsuit against the City of Stillwater. If this could happen to someone like me, a white, privileged woman, then it should deeply concern everyone. My decision to hold the City of Stillwater accountable was never about money. It was about ensuring that this violation of my civil rights did not go unnoticed or unchallenged. I am pleased that the Stillwater City Jail is set to close, effective July 1. That facility will no longer be able to harm others in the way it harmed me and many others.One day, I hope to be strong enough to share my full story. But today is not that day. For the first time in four years, I am finally at the point where I can start truly healing from this. I will never be able to fully express my gratitude for the constant support my family, friends, therapists and legal team provided me. I would not have had the strength to fight this without them. Please remember to be kind to others, you never know what someone is going through. Whatever you allow your government to do to others, they will eventually do to you.”

The total settlement exceeds $2.5 million. Of that amount, $875,000 will be covered through insurance, with the remaining balance paid by the city. Stillwater officials say the decision to settle was made in the city’s best interest.

Nearly four years after the incident, Hosterman’s attorney says she is in a better place and is beginning the process of healing.

The total settlement exceeds $2.5 million. Of that amount, $875,000 will be covered through insurance, with the remaining balance paid by the city. Stillwater officials say the decision to settle was made in the city’s best interest.

Nearly four years after the incident, Hosterman’s attorney says she is in a better place and is beginning the process of healing.

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