DOJ says it dropped its demand for unredacted info of 3,000 young trans gender patients of CHLA

The U.S. Department of Justice says it has dropped its demand for unredacted sensitive and personal information of more than 3,000 young trans gender patients of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Under an agreement filed last week, the DOJ agreed to withdraw many of its demands for documents that identified Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) patients or their families.

The settlement agreement, lodged in Los Angeles federal court, says the DOJ will no longer seek access to minors’ most sensitive unmodified medical records at CHLA — 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.

In a statement sent to City News Service over the weekend, the DOJ said it is still seeking patient information from the hospital but has instructed CHLA to redact certain patient-identifying details in response to lawsuits from parents.

“The Department of Justice has not withdrawn its subpoena,” according to the statement. “Rather, it withdrew three requests for patient records based on the subpoenaed entity’s representation that it did not have custody of any such records.”

“This settlement avoids needless litigation based on that fact and further instructs Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to redact patient information in documents responsive to other subpoena requests. As Attorney General (Pam) Bondi has made clear, we will continue to use every legal and law enforcement tool available to protect innocent children from being mutilated under the guise of ‘care.”‘

CHLA did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

More than 20 subpoenas were issued to doctors and clinics involved in providing gender-affirming care to children nationwide in order to investigate the alleged promotion or unlawful dispensing of puberty blockers and hormones to minors.

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.

Plaintiffs’ attorneys applauded the settlement agreement.

“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 trans gender medicine for pediatric patients. Those consequences would include termination of federal funding and not being able to participate in the Medicaid and Medi-Cal program, according to the White House.