The U.S. Department of Justice has withdrawn its subpoena demanding the medical records of over 3,000 transgender youth at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and entered into a settlement agreement with a group of patients and their families, according to court papers obtained Friday.
The agreement, filed in Los Angeles federal court on Thursday, dissolves a subpoena served over the summer to CHLA seeking access to minors’ most sensitive medical records — including mental health treatment notes, prescribing information and other personal details related to gender-affirming care.
The subpoena was issued as part of what President Donald Trump’s administration said was a probe into potential violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and related offenses.
More than 20 subpoenas were issued to doctors and clinics involved in providing gender-affirming care to children nationwide in order to investigate the promotion or unlawful dispensing of puberty blockers and hormones to minors, according to the DOJ.
Parents of six children who had received gender-affirming care from CHLA filed suit in November to try to quash the subpoena, arguing it violated patients’ constitutional right to privacy and exceeded the government’s legal authority.
“This is a massive victory for every family that refused to be intimidated into backing down,” Khadijah Silver, director of Gender Justice & Health Equity at Lawyers for Good Government, which helped bring the lawsuit, said in a statement. “The government’s attempt to rifle through children’s medical records was unconstitutional from the start. Today’s settlement affirms what we’ve said all along: These families have done nothing wrong, and their children’s privacy deserves protection.”
The settlement agreement protects the anonymity of the affected youth and families while securing the withdrawal of the government’s demands for their medical records — and those of their fellow patients, Silver said.
“This settlement is a crucial affirmation that health care decisions belong in exam rooms, not government subpoenas,” said Cori Racela, executive director for the Western Center on Law & Poverty. “Youth, families, and medical providers have constitutional rights to privacy and dignity. No one’s private health records should be turned into political ammunition — especially children. This ruling protects sensitive medical records, upholds the professional integrity of providers, and reinforces that families seeking lawful care are not suspects — they’re entitled to safety and confidentiality.”
Gender-affirming care remains legal in many states and is endorsed by every major medical association, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Endocrine Society. The investigation’s underlying premise has been widely rejected by legal experts and medical professionals, according to Racela.
CHLA said in June it would close its Center for Transyouth Health and Development and Gender-Affirming Care surgical program. Hospital executives cited challenges including the “shifting policy landscape” for the closure.
Trump signed an executive order last year impacting gender-affirming care and warned there would be severe consequences to hospitals that continue to offer transgender medicine for pediatric patients. Those consequences include termination of federal funding and not being able to participate in the Medicaid and Medi-Cal program, the administration said.
The DOJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment.