Second federal lawsuit alleges unconstitutional strip search by Stillwater police, jail staff

STILLWATER, Okla. –

A Utah woman has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Stillwater, several police officers and detention officers, alleging she was assaulted, wrongfully arrested, denied medical care and subjected to an unconstitutional strip search while in custody.

The lawsuit, filed April 10 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, comes weeks after the city agreed to pay more than $2.5 million to settle a separate civil rights case involving another woman who alleged she was improperly strip-searched at the Stillwater City Jail.

The allegations in the new lawsuit have not been proven in court, and the defendants have not yet responded to the complaint.

According to the complaint, Alicia Coulter was outside Willie’s Saloon in downtown Stillwater on May 26, 2023, when she was physically attacked by another woman.

The lawsuit alleges Coulter was on the ground being punched and having her hair pulled when a Stillwater police officer arrived. The complaint claims officers incorrectly identified Coulter as the aggressor despite evidence allegedly showing she was the victim of the altercation.

Coulter alleges she was placed in handcuffs, pushed into walls and arrested despite posing no threat and committing no crime.

According to the complaint, Coulter suffered visible injuries during the incident and repeatedly requested medical care.

The lawsuit alleges officers ignored those requests and proceeded with her arrest. Court filings state Coulter continued requesting medical attention while being transported to jail.

The complaint further alleges that after arriving at the jail, she repeatedly asked for medical care and access to her prescription corrective lenses but was denied both.

A central claim in the lawsuit involves a strip search conducted during the booking process at the Stillwater City Jail.

According to the complaint, Coulter declined to answer booking questions and was told she would be strip-searched if she did not provide the requested information.

The lawsuit alleges multiple officers and detention staff participated in or observed the search, including male officers. Coulter claims she was restrained, visually impaired without her corrective lenses and forced to remove her clothing despite there being no reasonable suspicion that she possessed contraband.

“Strip searches are among the most invasive things the government can do to a person, they are humiliating and degrading,” said Matt Primm, the attorney with Haven Law Group representing Coulter.

The complaint alleges the search was punitive in nature and violated her constitutional rights under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments.

“None of the detention officers or police took a second to ask of this was okay or to raise a concern,” Primm asked.

Beyond the this situation, Coulter’s lawyer worries if this strip search is common practice for the Stillwater Police Department and city jail; citing prior litigation involving former Oklahoma State University student Claire Hosterman.

Coulter’s lawsuit alleges the city failed to properly train and supervise officers regarding constitutional standards governing strip searches and the treatment of detainees.

“Police are there to protect the public, even when they take someone into custody. They still have to protect their rights,”Primm said.

The filing comes shortly after the City of Stillwater settled Hosterman’s civil rights lawsuit for more than $2.5 million.

Hosterman alleged she was stripped naked and left unclothed inside a jail cell following her 2022 arrest. Her lawsuit claimed male officers were present during the stip search and argued the search violated her constitutional rights.

“There’s absolutely no need for any of that. You got one female detention officer and two other men conducting a strip search and the idea of having an audience is just sickening,” Primm said.

City officials said the settlement was made in the city’s best interest. The settlement did not constitute an admission of wrongdoing.

The Stillwater Police Department declined to comment on the newly filed lawsuit, citing pending litigation.

Coulter is seeking compensatory and punitive damages of at least $75,000, along with attorney fees and other relief.

The case remains in its early stages, and no court has ruled on the merits of the allegations.