Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has reached a settlement with Seattle Children’s Hospital, dropping his request for information about transgender patients from Texas. The settlement, announced on Monday, means that the hospital will withdraw its business license in Texas and Paxton will drop his request for information about transgender patients from the state.
Seattle Children’s Hospital also stated under oath that it does not have staff that treats trans kids from Texas in person or remotely. The settlement comes after a state law enacted last September banned gender-affirming care for trans youth, such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgery.
Paxton released a statement after the settlement, saying 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 and that Texas vigorously protects 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. Meanwhile, Paxton’s office is also in a legal battle over whether the state can open child abuse investigations into parents who have provided this type of care for their kids.
