WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Justice (DOJ) warned New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) to back away from her fight with NYU Langone Health over its decision to stop providing certain irreversible transgender surgical and hormonal procedures to minors, arguing federal law does not require the hospital to offer these treatments.

WHO WAS INVOLVED: Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and NYU Langone Health.

WHEN & WHERE: The DOJ’s letter was sent on Wednesday, addressing actions in New York regarding NYU Langone Health’s decision last month.

KEY QUOTE: “NYU Langone’s exercise of its sound discretion to not provide such services and procedures does not constitute discrimination on any of these grounds.” — Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche

IMPACT: The DOJ’s warning sets the stage for a potential legal battle over the state’s authority and federal law regarding medical discretion for transgender treatments.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued a warning to New York Attorney General Letitia James, urging her to step back from pursuing legal action against NYU Langone Health. In February, The National Pulse reported that the hospital had decided to discontinue certain transgender surgical and hormonal procedures for minors, a move James claims violates state anti-discrimination laws.

In a letter sent on Wednesday, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the DOJ disagreed with James’s interpretation of the law. He asserted that NYU Langone’s policy was not discriminatory, explaining that the hospital’s decision to stop providing these treatments was within its medical discretion and did not violate anti-discrimination statutes, which “[prohibit] discrimination based on, among other things, sex, gender identity, and disability.”

The hospital had announced last month that it would end its Transgender Youth Health Program, citing the departure of its medical director and the current regulatory environment. “Given the recent departure of our medical director, coupled with the current regulatory environment, we made the difficult decision to discontinue our Transgender Youth Health Program,” said NYU Langone spokesman Steve Ritea. Ritea emphasized that this policy change does not affect pediatric mental health care programs.

James responded to the hospital’s decision with a legal threat, giving NYU Langone 10 days to reinstate the program. She argued there was no federal mandate requiring the cessation of transgender healthcare, which included treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy for minors—both of which can often produce irreversible physical changes.

Blanche noted the DOJ’s position aligns with the Supreme Court’s ruling in United States v. Skrmetti, which upheld Tennessee’s ban on certain transgender medical procedures for minors. He further clarified that NYU Langone’s policy does not bar transgender minors from accessing treatments like puberty blockers for conditions unrelated to gender dysphoria, reinforcing the hospital’s compliance with federal law.

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