The parents of a transgender 16-year-old girl have become the first known family to be investigated by Texas officials under a new order from Gov. Greg Abbott that declares giving trans children hormone therapy is “child abuse,” according to a lawsuit by the ACLU.
The child’s mom, who works for Texas’ children’s services agency, came under the scrutiny of the department after she went to her supervisors on Feb. 23 and asked them how the new directive would affect her job, the ACLU suit said.
Last month, Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ordered that state children’s services agents investigate parents of trans children for child abuse for allowing them to take hormones that block puberty and have “sex change procedures.”
The mom, identified only as Jane Doe, was placed on leave from her job reviewing abuse complaints just hours after she approached her bosses for clarification on the order, the suit said.
The next day, she learned she and her family were officially put under investigation for child abuse for allegedly giving puberty blockers to their child, who was identified in court papers as Mary Doe.
The lawsuit says the investigation has “wreaked havoc” on the family, as the mother faces termination if she’s found guilty of child abuse.
“Mary has been traumatized by the prospect that she could be separated from her parents and could lose access to the medical treatment that has enabled her to thrive,” it reads.
Investigators have asked the mother and father to turn over the child’s medical records, a request the family has refused, the lawsuit says.
The suit says Mary was born a boy, but has identified as a girl since a very young age and has been under the care of medical professionals for most of her life.
“Following Mary’s diagnosis of gender dysphoria, Mary’s doctors recommended that Mary be provided with medical care to treat and alleviate her gender dysphoria,” the petition reads. “This care has included the prescription of puberty-delaying medication and hormone therapy to initiate puberty consistent with her female gender.”
The Doe family is asking for a temporary restraining order to keep Texas from investigating parents of trans children for child abuse.
It’s unclear if parents of trans children would be prosecuted for child abuse, as a growing number of Texas district attorneys have said they would decline to take them to court.