Children’s Hospital DEFIES DOJ

Modern hospital building with a prominent H sign against a clear blue sky

The Trump administration launched its first targeted federal investigation into a children’s hospital for refusing to halt transgender medical treatments on minors, marking a decisive escalation in the fight to protect America’s children from experimental procedures.

Story Highlights

Seattle Children’s Hospital faces federal investigation and potential loss of Medicare/Medicaid funding for continuing gender-affirming treatments
HHS Secretary RFK Jr. declared such treatments “neither safe nor effective” for minors in groundbreaking policy shift
Hospital previously defied DOJ subpoenas seeking provider information on transgender treatments
Nineteen liberal states filed lawsuit to block federal enforcement of child protection standards

Federal Investigation Targets Hospital’s Transgender Program

The Department of Health and Human Services referred Seattle Children’s Hospital to its Office of Inspector General for investigation after determining the facility failed to meet professional standards of care. HHS General Counsel Mike Stuart leads the probe, which could result in the hospital losing federal Medicare and Medicaid funding. The investigation specifically targets the hospital’s specialized gender dysphoria clinic that provides puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical procedures to minors with parental consent.

Kennedy Declaration Rejects Dangerous Medical Experiments

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. issued a landmark declaration last week stating that gender-affirming medical treatments for minors are unsafe and ineffective. The declaration followed a comprehensive peer-reviewed report favoring behavioral therapy over irreversible medical interventions. Kennedy’s position challenges the ability of adolescents to provide informed consent for life-altering procedures, representing a dramatic shift from previous federal policy that enabled these experimental treatments on vulnerable children.

Hospital Defies Federal Authority Despite Funding Threats

Seattle Children’s Hospital affirmed its commitment to providing “gender-affirming medical care and support” despite federal pressure. Earlier in 2025, the hospital successfully quashed a DOJ subpoena seeking information about providers performing transgender treatments. This resistance demonstrates the hospital’s willingness to prioritize ideological positions over federal compliance and taxpayer funding. The hospital operates in Washington state, where progressive laws protect such treatments despite growing national consensus against them.

Nationwide Crackdown Forces Clinic Closures

The Seattle investigation follows widespread changes across American healthcare as hospitals nationwide abandon transgender procedures for minors. Since President Trump’s January executive order prohibiting federally-funded facilities from providing such care, over twelve major children’s hospitals have closed gender clinics or halted surgeries. Notable closures include Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Stanford Medicine, and Kaiser Permanente facilities across California, New York, Colorado, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. These institutions recognized the liability and ethical concerns surrounding irreversible procedures on developing children.

This enforcement represents a critical victory for parents’ rights and child protection advocates who have long warned about the dangers of rushing children into permanent medical interventions. The federal investigation sends a clear message that hospitals prioritizing radical gender ideology over sound medical practice will face consequences, protecting countless children from potentially devastating and irreversible procedures that have no long-term safety data.