VOI World/ Desk
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has appointed Mathura Sridharan as the state’s 12th Solicitor General, naming her the lead appellate attorney for high-stakes cases before federal and state courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Sridharan, an Indian-American lawyer with extensive legal credentials, previously served as Deputy Solicitor General and leads Ohio’s Tenth Amendment Center, which challenges federal overreach in defense of state authority.
Her promotion, announced on July 31, was met with racist and xenophobic comments on social media. Trolls questioned her citizenship and criticized her wearing of a bindi, with remarks such as, “If her name or complexion bothers you…” signalling underlying bias in the discourse.
Attorney General Yost strongly defended Sridharan, emphasizing that she is a U.S. citizen and the child of naturalized American parents. He called her “brilliant” and praised her courtroom performance, including a recent Supreme Court win in the Ohio v. EPA case. He noted endorsements from both of her predecessors in the solicitor general role.
Sridharan holds law and engineering degrees from prestigious institutions, including New York University School of Law and MIT. She also clerked for federal judges in New York. Her appointment underscores the growing presence of Indian-origin professionals in U.S. legal leadership, while reflecting ongoing cultural tensions surrounding diversity in public office.
