Prison Warden Denies Wrongdoing in Tory Lanez Lawsuit

The prison warden Tory Lanez filed a $100 million lawsuit over being stabbed while behind bars has responded to the suit, denying any wrongdoing in the matter.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ on Monday (Oct. 19), California Correctional Institution Warden Thomas Valdez just officially filed his response to Tory’s suit from April. The report says Valdez denied Tory was harmed by anything he did or did not do. He does, however, acknowledge Tory was definitely stabbed with a makeshift weapon while being housed in the same facility as the inmate who stabbed him, Santino Casio.

Tory filed the complaint on April 14 in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, accusing the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), several correctional officers and the prison warden of failing to protect him, negligent supervision, intentional infliction of emotional distress, violating his privacy rights and conversion. The lawsuit stems from a May 2025 incident where he was stabbed 16 times by Casio, who is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder.

In the complaint, Tory alleges prison officials failed to account for the danger posed by housing him near Casio, citing his history of violence, including a 2008 conviction for assault with a deadly weapon and a 2018 charge for manufacturing a weapon while incarcerated. The rapper also points to his high-profile status, questioning why correctional officers were not present during the attack and why the response was delayed, allowing the stabbing to continue.

The Toronto native suffered stab wounds to his back, torso, the back of his head and face, as well as two collapsed lungs. He was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition, and following his recovery, he was transferred to California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo County, Calif.

Valdez insists he’s not legally responsible for what happened, saying Tory “consented to his prison housing classification and assignment and assumed any risk alleged” of his housing. Valdez is also claiming qualified immunity.

Tory is seeking a trial by jury and $100 million in damages to cover medical bills, physical pain and suffering, emotional trauma, permanent scarring to his face, lasting lung damage and the loss of future earning potential.

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