Seattle Children’s Hospital Takes Legal Action Against Texas AG Ken Paxton Over Trans Patient Records

Seattle Children's Hospital has filed a lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton after he attempted to obtain information about gender-affirming treatment received by Texas youths at the hospital. The hospital argues that Paxton's demands are outside his jurisdiction and constitute "sham requests." Conservative lawmakers in Texas have been pushing to restrict gender-affirming care, and Paxton has been at the forefront of these efforts. Seattle Children's Hospital contends that the requested information is protected under HIPAA and Washington state privacy laws. If Paxton's actions are upheld, it could set a precedent for other states to burden providers of gender-affirming care.