Missouri agencies are investigating whistleblower allegations against the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children's Hospital.
State Attorney General Andrew Bailey's office began a full investigation after receiving a sworn affidavit from the whistleblower, Jamie Reed, and documents related to her allegations, Mr. Bailey confirmed in a Feb. 9 news release. The Missouri Department of Social Services and Division of Professional Registration are assisting Mr. Bailey's office with the probe.
"As attorney general, I want Missouri to be the safest state in the nation for children," Mr. Bailey said in the release. "We have received disturbing allegations that individuals at the transgender center at St. Louis Children's Hospital have been harming hundreds of children each year, including by using experimental drugs on them. We take this evidence seriously and are thoroughly investigating to make sure children are not harmed by individuals who may be more concerned with a radical social agenda than the health of children."
In her affidavit, Ms. Reed said she worked as a case manager at the transgender center from 2018 to November 2022.
Her 56-page affidavit includes various allegations, including that "on several occasions, the doctors have continued prescribing medical transition even when a parent stated that they were revoking consent."
Other allegations include:
- "The center does not require children to continue with mental healthcare after they prescribe cross-sex hormones or puberty blockers and even continues those medications when the patients directly report worsening mental health after initiating those medications."
- "I have seen puberty blockers worsen the mental health outcomes of children. Children who have not contemplated suicide before being put on puberty blockers have attempted suicide after."
- "It is my belief that the center does not track these outcomes because they do not want to have to report them to new patients and because they do not want to discontinue cross-sex hormone prescriptions. The center never discontinues cross-sex hormones, no matter the outcome."
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri announced Feb. 9 that his office also would launch an investigation into the transgender center.
"Starting immediately, your institutions must take steps to preserve all records, written and electronic, regarding gender-related treatments performed on minors since the opening of the Center," Mr. Hawley wrote in a letter to the university chancellor, hospital president and the transgender center's co-directors. "Additional oversight inquiries and outreach will follow."
Washington University, in a statement Feb. 9, said it was alarmed by the whistleblower allegations.
"We are taking this matter very seriously and have already begun the process of looking into the situation to ascertain the facts," the university said. "As always, our highest priority is the health and well-being of our patients. We are committed to providing compassionate, family-centered care to all of our patients and we hold our medical practitioners to the highest professional and ethical standards."
A spokesperson from St. Louis Children's Hospital on Feb. 10 referred Becker's to the university's statement.