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Trans woman alleges sexual retaliation by St. James Infirmary staff
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by John Ferrannini
Cynthia Laird
Prasad settling in after bond granted in immigration case
by Cynthia Laird
Salesh Prasad, who was granted bond by an immigration judge late last year, has settled into transitional housing in San Francisco, where he also now has a job.
“I’m enjoying my freedom,” Prasad said during a recent interview at the office of the San Francisco Public Defender, which is representing him.
Prasad had been in Immigration and Customs
Enforcement custody in Southern California for 473 days when immigration Judge Kevin Riley granted a $5,000 bond following a lengthy Decem-
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The San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development has ordered St. James Infirmary to investigate a claim by a trans woman that she is a victim of sexual retaliation by some of the nonprofit’s workers.
Blanche Kriege, 31, told the Bay Area Reporter she lives at the Bobbie Jean Baker House in San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood. She said she is being kicked out of the transitional housing facility at the end of the month after refusing to accompany two St. James workers to a sex club. (The B.A.R. is not naming the two accused staffers because no criminal charges have been filed.)
“This complaint was forwarded to MOHCD staff this morning,” MOHCD communications manager Anne Stanley stated to the B.A.R. on March 16. “Shortly after receiving the complaint, MOHCD staff directed St. James Infirmary’s acting executive director and board president to conduct a full investigation into the allegations.”
Stanley’s statement added, “We are staying apprised of the situation as additional information is made available and cannot offer further comment at this time.”
Anita “Durt” O’Shea, the chief operating officer of St. James, confirmed the existence of the investigation.
“St. James has hired a third-party investigator to investigate this grievance,” O’Shea stated to the B.A.R. “Because it is an active investigation I cannot comment on it.”
O’Shea confirmed that attorney Karen Carrera is the third-party investigator. Carrera did not respond to a request for comment for this report as of press time.
Kriege told the B.A.R. that she is a Bay Area native who became homeless after losing her apartment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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