Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched a second investigation into a Texas hospital for allegedly performing child gender mutilation procedures, which he says are “child abuse” under state law.
Paxton said he was investigating Texas Children’s Hospital to “determine if the entity is actively engaging in illegal behavior and performing ‘gender transitioning’ procedures on children.”
Investigative journalist Christopher Rufo recently shared internal records from TCH in Houston, revealing that the institution resumed performing child gender mutilation procedures only three days after announcing that they would halt the practice.
The hospital claimed it was ending the program to protect doctors and parents after Paxton released a legal opinion last March saying the medical treatments—including providing minors with sterilizing cross-sex hormones and surgically removing their healthy body parts—classify as child abuse.
Despite this announcement, hospital records show that TCH and its partner, Baylor College of Medicine, allowed Dr. Kristy Rialon to “insert a non-biodegradable drug delivery implant” into an 11-year-old “female-to-male transgender person” three days later.
Paxton launched his investigation in response to the unveiling of these records, and stood by his previous legal opinion calling these procedures child abuse.
“I’ve been clear that any ‘gender transitioning’ procedures that hurt our children constitute child abuse under Texas law,” said Paxton. “Recent reports indicate that Texas Children’s Hospital may be unlawfully performing such procedures, and my office [is] working to uncover the truth. I am committed to investigating any entity in our state to ensure that our children are protected.”
He also denounced leftists’ claims that child gender mutilation procedures are necessary for gender-confused children.
“Though many unhinged activists compromising the healthcare field think otherwise, children are not to be treated as science experiments,” said Paxton. “Doctors and hospitals should not be pushing mutilative and irreversible ‘gender transitioning’ procedures that will negatively impact innocent children for the rest of their lives.”
Earlier this month, Paxton launched an investigation into Austin’s Dell Children’s Medical Center over similar accusations.
The investigation came after Project Veritas featured DCMC in a documentary, revealing that the institution performed child gender mutilation procedures on minors.
“We do have patients who are starting [to transition] as young as 8 or 9. So, we do have folks on the younger side,” a licensed social worker at DCMC was recorded explaining to an undercover reporter.
The social worker also explained how soon patients could begin taking puberty blockers, provided lists of “gender-affirming” therapists, and detailed what is required before patients undergo gender-mutilating surgery.
Paxton called the documentary “alarming.”
“It is deeply disturbing, and there is no place for it in Texas,” said Paxton. “Along these lines, there have been a number of recent reports about potentially illegal activity at Dell Children’s Medical Center, and this investigation aims to uncover the truth.”
This week, the Texas Legislature gave final approval to Senate Bill 14, which will ban medical providers from prescribing minors puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and mutilative surgeries.
The bill has been sent to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk to be signed into law.
No ads. No paywalls. No government grants. No corporate masters.
Just real news for real Texans.
Support Texas Scorecard to keep it that way!
