Mathura Sridharan Named Ohio Solicitor General, Faces Xenophobic Backlash

Photo: X

India-West News Desk

COLUMBUS, OH — Mathura Sridharan has been appointed as Ohio’s 12th Solicitor General, becoming the state’s top appellate lawyer. Her elevation to the role was announced by Attorney General Dave Yost’s office on X (formerly Twitter), where she was praised for her legal acumen and prior work in state and federal courts.

But the announcement also triggered an immediate wave of xenophobic and racially charged comments, with some social media users questioning Sridharan’s citizenship and mocking her Indian heritage — including her wearing of a bindi.

“Couldn’t find a citizen and native of the United States for the job?” one user wrote. Another added, “This one has a perma-dot, huh,” referring to the bindi on her forehead. Others made disparaging remarks like, “What’s the dot on her forehead?” and questioned why “foreigners” were being hired for top state roles.

Attorney General Yost quickly came to Sridharan’s defense. “A few commenters have asserted incorrectly that Mathura is not American. She is a United States citizen, married to a US citizen, and the child of naturalized US citizens,” Yost posted. “If her name or her complexion bothers you, the problem is not with her or her appointment.”

Yost also emphasized her qualifications: “Mathura is brilliant… she won her argument at SCOTUS last year,” he wrote, adding that both of her previous supervisors — former Solicitor Generals Benjamin Flowers and Michael Hendershot — strongly recommended her for the role.

Currently serving as Deputy Solicitor General and head of Ohio’s Tenth Amendment Center, Sridharan has a strong academic background. She earned her JD from NYU School of Law in 2018 and holds Master’s and dual Bachelor’s degrees from MIT in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and Economics. She previously clerked for Judge Steven J. Menashi of the Second Circuit and Judge Deborah A. Batts of the Southern District of New York.

Despite the noise online, Yost affirmed his confidence in her abilities: “She will serve Ohio well.”