Court rejects US Department of Justice’s efforts to access trans kids’ medical records
US president Donald Trump. (Getty)
US president Donald Trump. (Getty)
A court in the US has thrown out the justice department’s attempt to gain access to the medical records of trans children.
District judge Mark A Kearney, in the eastern district of Pennsylvania, rejected the department’s demands to be given names, dates of birth, social security numbers, home addresses and clinical notes of minors treated since January 2020, the Advocate reported.
The court found the Trump administration “lacks statutory authority for a rambling exploration of the hospital’s files to learn the names and medical treatment of children”.
Kearney’s decision confirmed that the records concerned lawful medical treatment which was governed by Pennsylvania law, and that children’s and families’ constitutional privacy interests “far outweigh” the Department of Justice’s asserted investigative needs.
Mimi McKenzie, of the Public Interest Law Center, said: “This is a critical win for everyone who believes healthcare decisions should be made in doctors’ offices, not the White House.”
It follows families in Pennsylvania filing motions to quash subpoenas issued by the administration in July that alleged fraud in gender-affirming care.
Earlier this month, Erica Deuso made history as the first out trans woman to be elected a mayor in the Keystone State when she won 64 per cent of the vote in Dowingtown, about 37 miles from Philadelphia.
Deuso, who is bisexual, wrote on Facebook: “Yesterday’s victory shows what we can accomplish when we come together with respect, hope and purpose. I’m honoured by your trust, and ready to get to work.
“Being elected as Pennsylvania’s first openly transgender mayor is deeply meaningful, and I carry that responsibility with pride and humility. I hope it reminds anyone who has ever felt unseen, unheard or underestimated that your voice matters and that you belong in the room where decisions are made.”
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