Mathura Sridharan, Indian-origin MIT grad appointed Ohio's Solicitor General, trolled for wearing bindi
She will represent the state in major cases before state and federal appeals courts, including the US Supreme Court.
Sridharan currently serves as Deputy Solicitor General and heads Ohio's Tenth Amendment Center. In 2023, she argued on behalf of Ohio in the US Supreme Court case Ohio vs EPA, which challenged a federal environmental rule.
She earned her law degree from New York University in 2018. Before that, she studied electrical engineering and economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), earning both bachelor's and master's degrees.
Before joining the Ohio Solicitor's office, she worked as a law clerk for Judge Steven Menashi (US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit) and Judge Deborah Batts (US District Court, Southern District of New York).
She has also trained in Carnatic music and performed in Chennai during the December music season. Sridharan has been married to Ashwin Suresh since 2015.
Why would you select someone who isn't an American for such an important role?
— ThatGuyFromHS (@ThatGuyFromHS) July 31, 2025
After her appointment was announced, some posts on X criticised Sridharan, pointing to her wearing a bindi and questioning whether she was truly American.
However, one user on X asked, 'What is that on her forehead?' Another wrote, 'She's got a permanent dot, huh?'
This one has a perma-dot, huh pic.twitter.com/jW8BLqBHFj
— Mr. Chairman (Still TheStaties) (@TheStatiesV2) July 31, 2025
In a public response, Dave Yost defended 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,' he said.
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
He added, 'If her name or her complexion bothers you, the problem is not with her or her appointment.'
Yost also highlighted her strong legal record and support from past Solicitors General. 'She has already appeared before the Supreme Court, and both of Ohio's previous Solicitor Generals Benjamin Flowers and Elliot Gaiser recommended her strongly,' he said.
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