Indian-American lawyer Mathura Sridharan criticized for wearing Bindi following Ohio appointment

Mathura Sridharan, an Indian-American lawyer, has been promoted by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost as the 12th Solicitor General of Ohio. Before this, she worked as the director of Ohio’s Tenth Commandment Center in the state attorney general’s office for more than two years.

New Delhi: Indian-American lawyer Mathura Sridharan has been named Solicitor General by Dave Yost, the Attorney General of Ohio in the United States. This decision led to a lot of racist and rude comments on social media, with some people questioning why the position wasn’t given to an “American. ” However, Yost later said that Mathura Sridharan is a US citizen, and her husband too.

Yost has chosen Mathura Sridharan as the 12th Solicitor General of Ohio. He announced her appointment on X, calling her talented and saying she will do a great job for the state.

Mathura Sridharan, who faced online attacks for wearing a bindi, shared a post on X where he said, “Mathura is brilliant… she won her argument at SCOTUS last year. Both the SGs she worked under (Flowers & Gaiser) recommended her. I told her when I originally hired her I needed her to argue with me. She does… All the time! Excited to promote her. She will serve Ohio well. ”

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.

If her name or her complexion bother you, the problem is not with her or her appointment. https://t.co/htNbcomixc

— Dave Yost (@DaveYostOH) July 31, 2025

Some people posted racist comments because she is Indian and wears a bindi. One person asked, “Why would you choose someone who isn’t American for such an important role? ” Another pointed out, “See, the bindi is weak, but it is still visible. ”

Who is Mathura Sridharan?

Mathura Sridharan, an Indian-American lawyer, has been promoted by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost as the 12th Solicitor General of Ohio.

Before this, she worked as the director of Ohio’s Tenth Commandment Center in the state attorney general’s office for more than two years. In this role, she started and managed lawsuits to “protect Ohioans against unlawful federal policies and to protect the balance of power between federal and state governments. ”

Before joining the Ohio Solicitor’s Office, she worked as a law clerk for Judge Steven J Menashi of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Judge Deborah A. Bates of the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

She graduated from New York University School of Law in 2018.