A federal civil rights lawsuit filed against Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) officers and officials alleges that guards used active body cameras to record a formerly incarcerated woman during childbirth and postpartum care.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on behalf of Natalie Forrest, her infant son J.F., and her mother Jessica Larson, names five corrections officers alongside MDOC Director Heidi Washington, Deputy Director Jeremy Bush, and Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility Warden Jeremy Howard.
According to the complaint, the incident began on March 6, 2025, when Forrest was transported to Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital to have labor induced.
The lawsuit alleges that despite being in a medical room surrounded by hospital staff, two corrections officers, including a male guard, remained inside the delivery room wearing active, chest-mounted body cameras throughout cervical exams, active labor, and the delivery.
In a grievance form written by Forrest just days after giving birth, she wrote, "I felt so uncomfortable and degraded" when describing her experience being recorded during childbirth.
Maura Battersby, an attorney with Flood Law, PLLC representing the plaintiffs, said her client is left with lasting emotional trauma.
"To have people literally recording that and knowing it's being recorded the whole time made that for a much worse experience as far as the emotional trauma that that left her with," Battersby said.
She added that an event meant to be a private medical procedure and bonding moment between mother and child was turned into "a reality television show for the corrections officers."
The lawsuit also alleges that one of the corrections officers threatened Forrest's mother that if she took a photo of her newborn grandson, Forrest's sentence would be extended by two years.
On February 17, 2025, advocates notified corrections officials in writing that officers who record undressed women with body cameras would violate Michigan's felony voyeurism statute (MCL 750.539j) and that corrections officers do not fall under the statute's peace-officer exemption.
MDOC officials defended the practice, arguing that footage was allowable because it was not automatically saved unless the raw data was extracted by approved staff.
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages for constitutional privacy violations, First Amendment retaliation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The Department of Corrections did not respond to requests for comment about the lawsuit.
