Grovetown, Ga. — A 25-year-old transgender man is dead and a judicial activist sitting on the bench at a Columbia County courthouse in Evans is to blame.
Rowan Feldhaus, 25, died after complications from surgery and another reason – judicial activist David Roper’s refusal to allow name changes to go through in a timely manner.
“It was complications post surgery and then he was readmitted post surgery and it started snowballing from there,” his friend, Austin Atkins, said.
Rowan Feldhaus, 25, of Augusta, was in the final stages of transitioning into a man. He started the process about 25 months ago. Last year, he petitioned the court to legally change his name to Rowan Elijah.
Roper denied his request stating, “My policy has been that I will not change a name from an obvious female name to an obvious male name and vice versa.” The same judge also denied another local transgender man from changing his name too.
Roper’s decision led to Mr. Feldhaus’s death. He needs to be removed from the bench.
WRDW News 12