Missouri’s Attorney General, Andrew Bailey, a representative of the Republican party, has initiated a legal counteraction against Southampton Community Healthcare, a St. Louis-based clinic.
The lawsuit was announced on Sunday, a couple of days after its official court filing.
The clinic previously contested unsuccessfully against the new state regulations on gender-related care.
Southampton Community Healthcare stands accused of improper care provisions for transgender minors even before the enforcement of the new law.
It is alleged in the lawsuit that the clinic, during a hearing concerning the new legislation, confessed to not administering comprehensive mental health assessments to all patients.
The office of Attorney General Bailey contends that this omission contravenes Missouri’s consumer protection law, as it is a deviation from the long-established standard of care requiring psychiatric evaluations.
Andrew Bailey stated, “These providers failed Missouri’s children when they rejected even a diluted medical standard and subjected them to irreversible procedures. My office is not standing for it.”
If Bailey’s lawsuit is successful, Southampton may be mandated to pay $1,000 per violation and provide restitution to any patients who underwent gender transition procedures without receiving a complete mental health evaluation.
The recently enacted law, effective from August 28, proscribes hormones, puberty blockers, and gender-related surgeries for minors.
However, exceptions are made for individuals already on medication before the law’s inception.
Consequently, establishments like the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and University of Missouri Health Care in Columbia have ceased the prescription of puberty blockers and hormones to minors for gender transition purposes.
While the law still permits most transgender adults to access health care, it is not covered by Medicaid.
Individuals who are incarcerated are also obligated to finance their gender-affirming surgeries independently.
Opponents of gender-related care for minors often argue that children might reverse their decisions, although existing evidence implies that detransitioning is rare.
