DOJ drops demand for data naming transgender kids treated at CHLA – NBC Los Angeles

The U.S. Department of Justice withdrew its subpoena demanding the medical records of over 3,000 transgender youth at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) on Friday.

A settlement agreement between the department and a group of patients and their families was reached, according to court papers.

The agreement was filed in Los Angeles federal court Thursday and dissolves the subpoena that was served last summer.

The subpoena sought access to minors’ sensitive medical records, including mental health treatment notes, prescribing information and other personal information related to gender-affirming care.

It was issued as part of what the Trump administration said was a probe into potential violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and related offenses.

Over 20 subpoenas were issued to doctors and clinics involved in providing gender-affirming care to children across the U.S. to investigate the promotion or unlawful dispensing of puberty blockers and hormones to minors, the DOJ said.

The parents of six children who received gender-affirming care from CHLA filed a lawsuit in November to try to quash the subpoena. They argued it violated patients’ constitutional right to privacy and exceeded the government’s legal authority.

“This is a massive victory for every family that refused to be intimidated into backing down,” said Khadijah Silver, director of Gender Justice and Health Equity at Lawyers for Good Government, which helped bring the lawsuit.

The settlement agreement protects the anonymity of the affected youth and their families while securing the withdrawal of the government’s demands for their medical records, according to Silver.

“This settlement is a crucial affirmation that health care decisions belong in exam rooms, not government subpoenas,” said Cori Racela, executive director for the Western Center on Law & Poverty. “Youth, families, and medical providers have constitutional rights to privacy and dignity.”

Gender-affirming care remains legal in many states and is endorsed by every major medical association, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Endocrine Society. The investigation’s underlying premise has been widely rejected by legal experts and medical professionals, according to Racela.

CHLA said in June it would close its Center for Transyouth Health and Development and Gender-Affirming Care surgical program. Hospital executives cited challenges, including the “shifting policy landscape,” for the closure.

Trump signed an executive order last year impacting gender-affirming care and warned there would be severe consequences to hospitals that continue to offer transgender medicine for pediatric patients. 

Those consequences include termination of federal funding and not being able to participate in the Medicaid and Medi-Cal programs, the administration said.

The DOJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment.