A US federal appeals court has handed the Trump administration a legal victory in its efforts to seek data from providers of pediatric gender treatments to minors. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated a Justice Department subpoena that a lower court had blocked as politically motivated.
Background
The subpoena, part of a wave of similar demands from the Trump administration to hospitals and clinics across the country, sought personnel records, billing information, patient records, and other information from telehealth provider QueerDoc. QueerDoc provides pediatric gender treatments for patients, including minors, diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
The Justice Department argued in the appeal that its subpoena was one “that the Department issues all the time in the health care space — seeking records so it can duly investigate potential federal offenses.”
Implications
The court did not order QueerDoc to produce the documents sought by the subpoena. It sent the case back to US District Judge Jamal Whitehead in Seattle to rule on QueerDoc’s arguments that the subpoena is overbroad and would impose an undue burden on the small clinic.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
