After the U.S. Department of Justice tried to subpoena extremely private medical records, the federal court in Pennsylvania issued its verdict.
The DOJ demanded names, birth dates, social security numbers, home addresses, clinical notes, intake forms, consent paperwork, and parental authorization for puberty blockers and hormone therapy from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
The DOJ wanted the records from every transgender child being treated since 2020; however, the demands where overseen by Mark A. Kearney in the eastern district of Pennsylvania. He cited that the Trump administration “Lacks statutory authority for a rambling exploration of hospital’s files to learn the names and medical treatment of children.”
Kearney’s decision confirmed the records the DOJ demanded concerned lawful medical treatment governed under Pennsylvania law. His ruling criticized the DOJ’s shifting justifications and their implication that the constitutional privacy of children and families are more important than the DOJ’s investigative needs. He also noted that the government made this disclosure mandatory, claiming that “false statements may be subject to a perjury investigation.”
Mimi McKenzi from Public Interest Law Center says: “This is a critical win for everyone who believes healthcare decisions should be made in the doctors’ offices, not the White House.”
The first out trans woman to be elected mayor of Pennsylvania, Erica Deuso, writes on Facebook, “Yesterday’s victory shows what we can accomplish when we come together with respect, hope, and purpose. I’m honored 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,” he adds. “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.”
This is proof no matter who you are, healthcare should always be private and yours alone by law.
