Home Economy Economic Activity Federal judge voids DOJ’s subpoena seeking trans youth medical records

Federal judge voids DOJ’s subpoena seeking trans youth medical records

By

PBN Staff

-

05/14/2026

U.S. DISTRICT Judge Mary S. McElroy on Wednesday blocked the enforcement of the U.S. Department of Justice’s subpoena seeking private medical records of youths who have received medical treatment for gender dysphoria at Rhode Island Hospital. / COURTESY U.S. DISTRICT COURT

PROVIDENCE – A federal judge has killed the U.S. Department of Justice’s subpoena seeking the private medical records of minor patients who have received medical treatment for gender dysphoria at Rhode Island Hospital. U.S. District Judge Mary S. McElroy on Wednesday blocked the enforcement of the DOJ’s subpoena that was filed and approved on April

Already a Subscriber? Log in

To Continue Reading This Article

Become a Providence Business News subscriber and get immediate access to all of our premier content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Critical RI business news and analysis updated daily.
1 year of print (26 issues).
Unlimited access to all subscriber only content on our website, on any device.
Free email alerts.
Annual Book of Lists Print Edition.
All special issues produced during subscription term.

Click Here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article

PBN Branded Content

Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists in Rhode Island

AP Biology students at Cumberland High School recently conducted a hands-on lab experiment using professional-grade…

Learn More

No posts to display

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

PROVIDENCE – A federal judge has killed the U.S. Department of Justice’s subpoena seeking the private medical records of minor patients who have received medical treatment for gender dysphoria at Rhode Island Hospital. U.S. District Judge Mary S. McElroy on Wednesday blocked the enforcement of the DOJ’s subpoena that was filed and approved on April 30 by a judge in Texas. Justice officials sought the identities and complete medical histories of every minor patient who received medical care for gender dysphoria at Rhode Island Hospital over more than five years. “As citizens, we trust that federal prosecutors, when wielding this awesome power against a state, a company or certainly against vulnerable children, will play fair and be honest with its counterparts and the judiciary,” McElroy said in her ruling. “DOJ has proven unworthy of this trust at every point in this case.” On May 4, The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island Inc. and the Lawyers’ Committee for Rhode Island have filed an emergency motion to block the DOJ’s subpoena. The motion was filed in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island on behalf of Katelyn Medeiros, who oversees the R.I. Office of the Child Advocate. The ALCU and Lawyers’ Committee called the DOJ’s subpoena an unprecedented intrusion into the private medical information of children and claim the intervention is “immediately necessary … to protect the constitutional privacy rights of Rhode Island’s children.” The ALCU and Lawyers’ Committee also noted that seven other courts across the country have quashed identical subpoenas issued to other providers of medical care for gender dysphoria. Their motion argued that all major medical organizations recognize gender dysphoria – which occurs when there is a conflict between the sex a person is assigned at birth and the gender with which they identify – as a medical condition that can cause significant distress and that appropriate medical care can effectively treat, including in minors.