Connecticut Children’s agrees to stop performing irreversible trans procedures on kids
A Connecticut hospital has reached a settlement with the Department of Justice in which it agreed to stop performing irreversible gender mutilation on minors exhibiting gender dysphoria.
The DOJ issued a press release on Wednesday announcing that Connecticut Children's Medical Center will quit performing cosmetic sex-change surgeries and prescribing body-deforming puberty-blocking drugs for youth struggling with confusion about their sex.
Connecticut Children's will also pay a monetary penalty and provide an additional $500,000 in medical care for the physical and psychological harms done to young patients.
“The Department of Justice will stop at nothing to protect America’s children,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, in a statement provided to The Christian Post. “This resolution is a reminder to hospitals, medical providers, and pharmaceutical companies that the Justice Department will vigorously enforce federal law, especially where the lives of children are endangered.”
The DOJ also credited the hospital's cooperation in reaching the settlement. "At all times during the investigation, Connecticut Children's remained cooperative, proactive and solution-driven, as highlighted by its financial commitment to providing restorative care to the victims who desperately need it," the agency said.
Brett Shumate, assistant attorney general for the DOJ's Civil Division, echoed language he used when announcing the Cleveland Clinic settlement two months earlier.
"As with Texas Children's and Cleveland Clinic before it, I am encouraged when leading institutions like Connecticut Children's agree to be part of the solution and no longer the problem," Shumate said. "But while we can be grateful when we arrive at such positive resolutions, we cannot and will not rest in our pursuit of justice for the victims of these discredited practices."
Ryan Raybould, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, also weighed in: "This resolution reaffirms our unwavering commitment to safeguarding America's children. When unsafe medical practices put minors at risk or violate federal law, the Department will act swiftly and decisively to protect them and hold every institution accountable."
Connecticut Children’s gave a statement to Hartford Business Journal in which officials said they have “complied and will continue to comply with all federal and state laws.”
“We can confirm we have reached a resolution that allows our organization to remain focused on our mission of improving the health and well-being of children,” Connecticut Children's stated. “Most importantly, patient privacy remained our foremost concern throughout this process and we were able to resolve this matter without disclosing any protected patient information to the U.S. government.”
The agreement solidifies an earlier decision in July of last year, when Connecticut Children’s announced it was gradually phasing out the controversial procedures that are leaving some youth maimed and sterile.
GLAD Law, an LGBT activist group that sued the hospital over last year’s decision, issued a statement on Thursday denouncing the agreement between the DOJ and the medical center.
“The Trump administration is using unprecedented threats to go after established medical care for the small population of transgender adolescents,” argued GLAD Law staff attorney Hannah Hussey in a statement.
In July 2025, the DOJ issued a statement announcing that it sent over 20 subpoenas to clinics and doctors allegedly involved in performing these irreversible procedures on children. The subpoenas were part of investigations involving alleged healthcare fraud and other matters.
Many other hospitals have also agreed to stop offering these procedures, largely in response to pressure from the federal government.
In May, Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston agreed to pay $10 million in damages for performing body-deforming procedures on youth, and agreed to provide what authorities described as “the first-of-its-kind clinic dedicated to restorative care for detransitioners.”
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation agreed in June to provide $2 million to fund detransition care, according to a DOJ announcement at the time.
Shumate said in the June announcement that he was grateful for the clinic’s decision “to be part of the solution” and “not part of the problem.”
“Cleveland Clinic’s commitment to providing millions of dollars toward care for detransitioners is emblematic of just that,” Shumate said at the time. “I am grateful for this resolution with Cleveland Clinic, but our work is far from over, and our division will continue to work tirelessly to protect America’s children and hold accountable those who have preyed on vulnerable children, whether they be pharmaceutical companies or medical providers.”
