The state has filed a lawsuit against Rady Children’s Health in the wake of the hospital’s planned closure of its gender-affirming care program for patients under the age of 19.
In the lawsuit, Attorney General Rob Bonta argues that the decision to end the care violates “legally binding conditions” placed by his office on Rady Children’s Hospital of San Diego following its merger with Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
Bonta alleges that Rady, in attempting to avoid a possible investigation by the Trump administration, has violated state law.
“Rady flagrantly disregarded its legal obligations by unilaterally deciding to preemptively comply with the administration’s demands and cease medically necessary care for roughly 1,450 patients,” Bonta said in a news release following the Friday filing of the suit. “We will not allow Rady to violate its obligations to its patients and the state. We will fight to uphold the law and ensure Californians can access gender-affirming care without facing unfair roadblocks.”
Bonta said that in 2024, his office “conditionally approved” the Rady merger with Children’s Hospital of Orange County. The merger conditions included a requirement that Rady maintain existing levels of specialty healthcare services, including gender-affirming care, through 2034.
Under the conditions, Rady was required to obtain approval from the attorney general before it reduced or eliminated gender-affirming care as planned, on Feb. 6. Bonta said that did not take place.
The lawsuit asks a San Diego Superior Court judge to issue a permanent injunction requiring Rady to restore all gender-affirming care services to the same types and levels of care as were provided at the time the Rady merger took effect January 2025.
Rady sent out a statement 10 days ago saying that the healthcare system would limit its program in response to “escalating federal actions,” including a referral to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General to be investigated.
Since he took office a year ago, President Donald Trump has targeted programs meant to support members of the LGBTQ community, particularly transgender individuals, including youth.
