The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to The Georgia Star News that a former guard at the Fulton County Jail, who was charged on Thursday after allegedly strangling a detainee to the point of losing consciousness, is a biologically female person. Media reports seem to disagree on Clark’s gender, with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution referring to Clark using female pronouns and Fox 5 Atlanta using male pronouns in its reporting.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment on Thursday, charging former Fulton County Jail detention officer Monique Clark with using excessive force when allegedly strangling a female detainee until she fell unconscious and was injured.
Jail records provided to the public by Fulton County indicate Clark (pictured above) is female, and a spokesman for the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to The Star News that “Clark is biologically a female and was housed in a female unit.” However, Director of Communications Natalie Ammons said she “cannot speak for Clark as to gender identity or if Clark was taking medication for transition.”
Clark appears balding and with facial hair in a Fulton County mugshot, and her voice is briefly heard in bodycam video of the incident.
Meanwhile, in its 344-word press release, the Department of Justice did not identify Clark’s gender or use pronouns to describe her. However, the Department of Justice did acknowledge Clark’s alleged victim is female through the use of a feminine pronoun.
The Star News contacted the Department of Justice to clarify Clark’s current gender identity and specifically to ask if the former detention officer is known to be receiving treatments for the purpose of a gender transition, but did not receive a response prior to press time.
Though the research has not reached the point of consensus, in 2018, researchers published peer-reviewed research on anger expression and control among transgender individuals. The study, based at the University of Turin in Italy, included 52 female-to-male transgender people, and researchers concluded that participants experienced increased levels of anger expression and anger control and experienced a significant change in feelings toward other people, objects, and themselves.
The researchers also found that female-to-male transgender participants who continued to experience their period were more likely to feel and express their anger in an uncontrolled manner, as noted by Forbes. In contrast, female-to-male transgender people who no longer experienced their period were better able to control their emotions.
Earlier research published in 2017 suggested that transgender treatments do not increase aggression but suggested some transgender people experience increased aggression and anxiety when they do not receive community support.
Clark was terminated after the alleged strangling incident, according to Fox 5 Atlanta, which reported Clark had “been with the department since 2016.”
The grand jury’s indictment is the latest news to break regarding the troubled Fulton County Jail where former President Donald Trump and other defendants charged by District Attorney Fani Willis were required to surrender last month.
So far this year, there have been 17 deaths reported at the jail, including six within a six-week period ending earlier this month. Most recently, a stabbing spree occurred on September 5, leaving multiple detainees injured or hospitalized and one dead, while a second later died in the hospital from his injuries.
The transgender community previously expressed fears over public discourse surrounding the gender identity of Covenant School killer Audrey Hale, who reportedly identified as a transgender male. The Star News Network has filed a federal lawsuit to compel the FBI to release Hale’s manifesto and other related writings.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Georgia Star News and a reporter for the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
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