Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has reached a settlement with Seattle Children’s Hospital, dropping his request for information about transgender patients from Texas in exchange for the hospital withdrawing its business license in the state. The settlement comes amid a state law enacted last September that bans gender-affirming care for trans youth. Paxton’s office is also embroiled in a legal battle over whether the state can open child abuse investigations into parents who provide this type of care for their children.
Under the terms of the settlement, Seattle Children’s Hospital will withdraw its business license in Texas and Paxton will drop his request for information about transgender patients from Texas. The hospital also said under oath that it does not have staff that treats trans kids from Texas in person or remotely.
In a statement, Paxton said that Seattle Children’s Hospital appeared to break Texas law and initially tried to evade accountability when investigated. He added that medical providers in Texas must abide by the state’s laws, which vigorously protect children from damaging, experimental ‘gender transition’ treatments that can have life-altering negative consequences.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and other major medical organizations support giving transgender adolescents access to gender-affirming health care. However, Paxton’s office has argued that such care is harmful to children and has sought to investigate parents who provide it.
