Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing a Dallas children’s hospital and a pediatric gynecologist, alleging they illegally provided puberty blockers and cross‑sex hormones to minors to facilitate “gender transitions” and then defrauded Medicaid to cover the cost.
Dr. Jason Jarin, the defendant in the lawsuit, is both a practicing pediatric gynecologist at the Children’s Medical Center of Dallas and an associate professor for UT Southwestern Medical Center with a clinical focus on minimally invasive surgery and pediatric-adolescent gynecology.
In the lawsuit, Paxton highlights that Dr. Jarin has a long history of advocating for the gender mutilation of children and has also researched, written articles, and presented on the topic.
Jarin also “openly acknowledged that ‘long-term data are still lacking in the medical care of individuals with gender dysphoria’” and has admitted to the sterilizing nature of the procedures, saying that “[t]he hormonal treatment of transgender individuals may render them infertile,” and “prolonged use of cross-sex hormones can make biological reproduction difficult for transgender patients.”
The lawsuit alleges Jarin prescribed or administered cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers to 12 children ranging in age from 13-17 who were patients at Children’s Medical Center.
The suit lays out that this violates the Texas Health and Safety Code, which prohibits physicians from knowingly providing medication to or conducting surgeries on children “for the purpose of transitioning a child’s biological sex as determined by the sex organs, chromosomes, and endogenous profiles of the child.”
According to the suit, Jarin, UT Southwestern, and the Children’s Medical Center have also allegedly defrauded Texas Medicaid by falsely billing the tax-funded program for “gender interventions,” cross-sex hormones, and puberty blockers. Those costs cannot be covered by Medicaid according to the state code.
A patient’s sex was also allegedly changed on claims made by Jarin and the hospital that did not reflect the patient’s biological sex.
The filing explains that because the claim did not reflect a patient’s biological sex, it appeared legitimate. “For instance, estrogen or a contraception-related diagnosis code billed with a female when the patient’s biological sex was actually male.”
Paxton says that he will use “every legal tool available” to ensure gender activists like Jarin face justice for their actions.
“This criminal extremist not only permanently harmed children, but he also then defrauded Medicaid and stuck Texas taxpayers with the bill for this insanity,” said Paxton. “Experimental ‘transition’ procedures on minors are illegal, unethical, and will not be tolerated in Texas.”
An immediate injunction is requested by Paxton, as he “has reason to believe that Jarin is engaging in, has engaged in, or is about to engage in acts and practices declared to be unlawful.”
A total of $1 million is being sought in the case, including civil penalties against Children’s Medical Center and Jarin.
