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Norma Jean Serena, of Creek-Shawnee ancestry, files a civil suit addressing sterilization abuse.

1973

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Serena's case in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania is the first civil suit to charge sterilization abuse as a civil rights violation.

In particular, Serena files based on her constitutional right to procreate and bear children, as well as her right to care for the children she already has. Serena is awarded $17,000 in damages.