Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed suit against a third doctor for allegedly providing gender-affirming care to a transgender minor, continuing his campaign against medical professionals who he believes violate state law. are.
The Nov. 4 lawsuit names Dr. Brett Cooper, an adolescent health provider at Children’s Medical Center Dallas and an assistant professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Paxton accused Cooper of illegally prescribing testosterone to 15 minors in North Texas for gender-affirming care. The anonymized patients ranged in age from 14 to 17 at the time of treatment and occurred after Texas’ gender-affirming medical ban went into effect on September 1, 2023.
The attorney general said “based on information and belief” these patients may be transgender and receiving gender-affirming treatment, but the lawsuit did not provide any further evidence.
In Texas, health care providers are prohibited from providing such care to trans minors under Senate Bill 14. The law faced legal challenges from families and doctors, but failed.
It remains legal in Texas to treat cisgender patients of any age with puberty blockers and hormone therapy. Untreated precocious puberty can lead to serious health complications.
Mr. Cooper has published peer-reviewed research on improving support and medical care for LGBTQ+ youth, filed affidavits in the SB 14 lawsuit, and participated in reporting on the ban’s impact on state youth care. . For this reason, Paxton called the doctor a “radical gender activist” in his lawsuit.
“SB 14 therefore not only puts the health and well-being of patients at risk, but also forces patients to choose between providing the care they need and deserve and complying with discriminatory laws like SB. It would put me in an unsustainable position,” Cooper said in the affidavit.
In the past two months, Paxton has filed similar lawsuits against El Paso endocrinologist Dr. Hector Granados and Cooper’s colleague, Dallas-based pediatrician Dr. Mae Lau. Both lawsuits are pending.
State law directs the Texas Medical Board to revoke the licenses of doctors who violate the ban on gender-affirming medicine. However, doctors will be allowed to continue treating existing patients “to wean them off prescription drugs for a period of time in a manner that is safe, medically appropriate, and minimizes the risk of complications.”
More than a dozen studies conducted around the world show that access to gender-affirming care is associated with improved mental health among transgender youth. This care is also recognized as medically necessary by leading medical organizations such as the Texas Academy of Pediatrics and the Texas Medical Association.
