Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has settled a lawsuit with Seattle Children’s Hospital over “gender transition” treatments potentially given to children in Texas.
The Texas Office of the Attorney General announced on April 22 that the state had dropped its investigation into the Seattle, Washington-based children’s hospital after the institution agreed to voluntarily withdraw its business registration in Texas no later than April 26.
“Seattle Children’s Hospital appeared to break Texas law and initially tried to evade accountability when investigated,” Mr. Paxton said in a statement on April 22. “When we merely began asking questions, they decided to leave the State of Texas and forfeit the opportunity to do business here,” he continued.
“Let this make our position clear: medical providers in Texas must abide by our laws. In Texas, we vigorously protect children from damaging, experimental ‘gender transition’ treatments that can have life-altering negative consequences.”
Mr. Paxton accused the children’s hospital of prescribing hormones, puberty blockers, and other medications to gender-dysphoric minors in Texas.
“When Texas children depart its facility, Seattle Children’s appears to transmit prescriptions for hormone-disrupting drugs to children and pharmacies in Texas, potentially violating state law,” the Office of the Attorney General said in a press release.
The lawsuit was dismissed by a Travis County judge in Austin, Texas, on April 19.
Texas is among a number of states—including Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, and Ohio, among others—that have implemented laws banning gender modification treatments in minors.
In November 2023, Mr. Paxton’s office opened the investigation into the facility after Senate Bill 14 took effect on Sept. 1. The new law prohibits the use of “gender transition” drugs or surgery in children under 18.
A month later, Seattle Children’s Hospital filed a lawsuit in response to Mr. Paxton’s demands for information regarding medications allegedly prescribed by the institution’s physicians to Texas children.
Seattle Children’s Hospital denied Mr. Paxton’s accusations.
“Protecting the privacy of our patients is our top priority, and Seattle Children’s successfully fought the Texas Attorney General’s overreaching demands to obtain confidential patient information,” a Seattle Children’s spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement.
“As a result, the Texas Attorney General withdrew his request. Seattle Children’s does not operate health care facilities nor provide gender-affirming care in Texas. As the largest pediatric care provider in the Pacific Northwest, we comply with all applicable laws and take those obligations seriously,” the statement reads.
In its December lawsuit, the hospital asserted that Mr. Paxton’s demands were unconstitutional and that Washington’s “Shield Law” protects entities from complying with requests for health care-related records.
Seattle Children’s also argued that Mr. Paxton had no general jurisdiction over the hospital since its principal place of business was not operated in Texas.
“If any Texas residents receive gender-affirming care from Seattle Children’s, they must travel to Washington to receive that care,” the court document states. “A Texas resident’s unilateral decision to obtain healthcare in Washington is insufficient to confer specific jurisdiction on Seattle Children’s.”
High Rates of Mental Health Problems in Trans Youth
Earlier this year, the American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) issued its position statement opposing the use of so-called gender-affirming medications, including cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers, social transition, and surgery for gender-confused youth.Researchers found substantial evidence that transgender youth suffer from high rates of mental health problems and that the rate of suicide attempts or completions is higher among those who have received gender reassignment interventions.
