Texas has officially dropped its lawsuit against Dr. Hector Granados, a pediatric endocrinologist accused of violating the state’s controversial ban on gender-affirming care for minors. Nearly a year after filing one of the first lawsuits of its kind, state officials concluded there was no evidence of wrongdoing.
The case was launched last October by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who branded Granados a “scofflaw who is harming the health and safety of Texas children.”
The lawsuit alleged that Granados had defied Senate Bill 14, a 2022 Texas law prohibiting healthcare providers from prescribing puberty blockers, hormone treatments, or surgical procedures to treat minors experiencing gender dysphoria, a serious condition stemming from a disconnect between a person’s gender identity and sex at birth.
According to the complaint, Granados had supposedly falsified medical and billing records to mislead insurance companies and pharmacies. However, court filings later revealed that Paxton’s office did not even contact Granados prior to filing the case, citing concerns he might tamper with records.
Speaking with El Paso Matters in January, Granados said he stopped treating minors after the Legislature passed Senate Bill 14 in May 2023. The measure officially went into effect that September following a ruling from the Texas Supreme Court.
On Thursday, Paxton’s office confirmed that after a “thorough review of the evidence and Granados’ complete medical records”, investigators found “no legal violations.” Granados had provided the documents in full cooperation with the probe.
A notice of nonsuit was subsequently filed, allowing the attorney general’s office to redirect resources toward other ongoing cases. “This ensures that the Office of the Attorney General is able to focus on other ongoing cases against doctors who illegally provided harmful ‘transition’ treatments and drugs to children,” a spokesperson explained.
Those cases involve two Dallas-based doctors, Dr. May Lau and Dr. M. Brett Cooper of UT Southwestern Medical Center. In a strongly worded statement, Paxton’s office said, “Attorney General Paxton will continue to bring the full force of the law against the delusional, left-wing medical professionals guilty of forcing ‘gender’ insanity on our children.”
Texas is not alone in its crackdown. Since 2021, more than half of U.S. states have enacted bans on gender-affirming care for minors, placing doctors at risk of losing their medical licenses, facing large fines, and even possible prison sentences.
The debate reached the highest court earlier this year. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban, ruling that states have the authority to prohibit gender-affirming treatment for minors without violating constitutional protections against sex discrimination.
Despite these restrictions, major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, stand firm that gender-affirming care for youth and adults is medically necessary and can be lifesaving.
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