Who is Mathura Sridharan, Ohio’s top lawyer, being trolled for wearing a bindi?

Indian-origin lawyer Mathura Sridharan has been appointed as Ohio’s 12th Solicitor General, a role that makes her the state’s top appellate lawyer. She will now represent the midwestern state in some of its most important legal battles, including cases before the US Supreme Court and other high-level state and federal courts.

Her appointment was announced by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost last week, who had nothing but praise for Sridharan’s sharp legal mind and track record in court.

“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,” Yost wrote on X.

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But instead of just celebrating the achievement, Sridharan found herself the target of racist and xenophobic trolling online.

The hate centred on her Indian heritage, with many questioning why someone with a non-Western name and background should hold such a senior legal post. Some even mocked her for wearing a bindi in her official photo.

Thankfully, the backlash didn’t go unanswered. The Ohio AG quickly came to her defence , calling out the trolls and reaffirming her qualifications and right to represent the state.

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So who is Mathura Sridharan? Why did her appointment trigger such reactions? And how did the Attorney General respond?

Here’s a closer look.

Who is Mathura Sridharan?

2. Mathura Sridharan currently serves as Deputy Solicitor General of Ohio, and also heads the state’s Tenth Amendment Center, a division focused on defending state authority and pushing back against what it sees as unlawful federal overreach.

3. According to The Federalist Society, a conservative and libertarian legal group with which Sridharan is affiliated, she has led lawsuits aimed at protecting Ohioans from federal policies that allegedly violate the Constitution and disturb the balance of power between state and federal governments.

4. Her academic credentials are as impressive as her legal work. Sridharan holds a Juris Doctor from the New York University School of Law, along with multiple degrees from MIT, including a Master’s in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Bachelor’s degrees in both Economics and Electrical Engineering & Computer Science.

5. Before joining the Solicitor General’s office, she clerked for two prominent federal judges: Judge Steven J Menashi of the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and Judge Deborah A. Batts of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

6. Outside of her legal work, Sridharan is trained in Carnatic music, a classical form of music from South India, and has even performed during Chennai’s December music season.

7. She has been married to Ashwin Suresh since 2015.

Why is Mathura Sridharan being trolled?

Soon after the news of her appointment went public, Sridharan found herself at the centre of a wave of online trolling.

A number of social media users took issue with her wearing a bindi in her official photo. “What is that on her forehead?” one user on X asked. While another wrote, “She’s got a permanent dot, huh?”

Some even mocked her name and even questioned her identity as an American.

Why would you select someone who isn't an American for such an important role?

— ThatGuyFromHS (@ThatGuyFromHS) July 31, 2025

“She’s Indian. They all have a loyalty first to other Indians. Horrible pick. Totally un-American. The GOP is pathetic.” And a third comment read, “No one with the last name ‘Sridharan’ fought in the US Civil War. She’s not an American.”

That is not all. Some even trolled her for her religious beliefs.

“Is she a Christian? That’s the biggest factor that concerns me. Based on the bindi on her forehead, I worry she is not. That absolutely should matter to us when choosing our leaders. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. If someone worships demons, then they are by nature children of wrath and foolish. How can they effectively lead us?” one user wrote.

‘The problem is not with her…’: Ohio AG responds to the trolling

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost didn’t stay silent. In a pointed response, he directly defended Sridharan’s appointment and said that she is being wrongly portrayed as a non-American.

He added that if Sridharan’s complexion or her name is bothering someone, the problem is with them and not her.

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

“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 naturalised US citizens. If her name or her complexion bother you, the problem is not with her or her appointment,” he wrote on X.

With input from agencies