With This Ruling, A Lower Court May Convene A Hearing Over Whether Gov. Greg Abbott’s Command To Investigate Some Gender-Affirming Treatment As Child Abuse Can Be Upheld In Its Entirety.
In A Verdict Issued On Wednesday, A Texas Court Agreed With Parents Of A Transgender Teenager, Refusing Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Attempts To Enable A Child Abuse Inquiry To Continue.
As A Result Of The Ruling, A Lower Court Will Be Able To Hold A Hearing, Which Is Scheduled For Friday, In Which Lawyers For American Civil Liberties Union & Lambda Legal Will Request That A Judge Order The State To Refrain From Launching Child Abuse Inquiry Against Parents Who’ve Already Obtained Gender-Affirming Medical Care For One‘s Transgender Children.
As The State’s Leaders Weaponize The Dept Of Family & Protective Services To Start Investigating Families, Intrude On Their Privacy, & Trample Just On Rights Of Parents Because They Are Providing Their Children With The Better Health Care, Under Guidance Of Doctors & Medical Best Practises, This Crisis In Texas Continues Every Day. “This Appeal Was Always Without Merit, And The Department Of Family And Protective Services And The Courts Must Intervene To Prevent More Egregious Government Overreach,” Said Brian Klosterboer, Attorney With The Aclu Of Texas. Read also about the City Of San Antonio Has Issued An Ozone Action Day Advisory.
A Request For Information From The Court Did Not Get A Response Immediately.
Gender Affirming Treatment Was Equated With Child Abuse, According To Paxton, Who Delivered A Non-Binding Legal Opinion In Mid-February. The Governor Responded With A Letter Ordering Texas Child Services To Launch Investigations Into Families Who Offer This Kind Of Care To Their Children. Gov. Greg Abbott Signed The Letter.
While The Majority Of Gender-Affirming Care Is Focused On “Social Transition” — Allowing The Child To Express One‘s Gender In Whatever Way They Want — A Few Transgender Children Are Prescribed Puberty Blockers, Which Are A Completely Repairable Medical Treatment That Can Be Used For A Variety Of Reasons Other Than Gender Transition And Transition. Paxton And Abbott Both Expressed Worry About The Use Of Gender-Affirming Procedures On Minors, Which Are Quite Seldom, If Ever, Performed.
Since Abbott Issued His Edict On Feb. 22, The State Has Started At Least 5 Child Welfare Investigations On The Parents Of Transgender Children, But The Actual Number Is Likely To Be Significantly More Than That. With Reference To Current Lawsuits, The State Has Refused To Divulge The Number Of Current Investigations.
The Aclu & Lambda Legal Have Filed A Lawsuit On Behalf Of A State Employee Who Has A Transgender Kid And Claims She Was Placed On Administrative Leave & Investigated By Child Protective Services After She Inquired About The Order.
Last Monday, State District Judge Amy Clark Meachum Issued A Temporary Restraining Order, Preventing The State From Conducting An Investigation Into The Family’s Activities And Finances. After Paxton Quickly Filed An Appeal, The Texas 3rd Court Of Appeals Decided On Wednesday That The Court Lacked Jurisdiction To Hear The Case And That It Could Not Continue.
Also On Friday, Meachum Will Hear Arguments About Whether A Temporary Injunction Should Be Granted Until The Trial, And If The Injunction Should Be Extended To All Parents Of Transgender Children.