The Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxton, announced on Friday that he is investigating Dell Children’s Hospital’s care for transgender minors, seeking evidence of alleged “potentially illegal activity.” Although Texas law does not presently prohibit gender-affirming care for minors, Paxton has attempted to categorise it as child abuse. Paxton and Governor Greg Abbott, both Republicans, are making a new push to find ways around existing restrictions by investigating a hospital in Austin.
The inquiry comes amid a contentious vote planned for later in the day on a bill to prohibit gender-affirming care for individuals under the age of 18 in Texas, with Republican lawmakers pushing to make Texas the newest conservative state to restrict medical treatment for transgender individuals. Abbott ordered the state’s child welfare agency to examine patients’ families after a 2022 non-binding judicial opinion called gender-confirming therapies child abuse.
Paxton’s investigation into Dell Children’s Hospital will seek information about the hospital’s policies on puberty blockers as well as documents identifying patients to whom it has offered treatment or therapy. The AG’s office has requested to inspect hospital records “to establish whether any state laws have been broken or any misrepresentations have been made to parents and patients.”
According to a recent report by Project Veritas, a right-wing organization that touts itself as a news outlet, the hospital and many others around the nation have been engaging in improper medical practices. “This investigation aims to uncover the truth,” Paxton said.
The hospital is run by Dell Children’s Medical Group, a part of the University of Texas-affiliated non-profit Catholic health system Ascension. The medical group disallows surgery or prescribing hormones for gender dysphoria in children. It mentioned in a declaration made on April 28th that it would examine any claims of treatment that “may have been inconsistent” with these positions. It also promised “appropriate action” if hospital policy-violating care was found. Hospital spokeswoman Ann Howser declined to comment.
For minors, gender-affirming care is prohibited or heavily regulated in 16 states. Care is restricted administratively in Missouri, Florida, and Texas. A judge in Missouri struck down a law that would have required patients to wait more than a year for therapy and other prerequisites before receiving gender-affirming treatment.
A ban on transgender treatment for kids was passed by the Texas Senate, but the House was unable to vote on it last week due to procedural issues. House proceedings were interrupted by transgender rights protestors in the gallery. Acacia Coronado of the AP wrote this.
