A second physician in Texas is facing a lawsuit from Attorney General Ken Paxton for allegedly violating state law by prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapy drugs to minors.
Five details:
- The lawsuit, filed Oct. 29 in the District Court of Kaufman County, accuses Hector Granados, MD, of illegally providing gender-affirming care to 21 patients between the ages of 12 and 17. In prescribing and distributing puberty blockers and hormone therapy to minors, the El Paso-based physician is in violation of Senate Bill 14, according to the complaint.
- SB 14 took effect in September 2023 and prohibits medical providers in Texas from providing gender transition-related medical interventions — including surgeries, puberty blockers and hormone therapy — to minors. Those found to be in violation of the law may face financial penalties and revocation of their medical license.
"Texas is cracking down on doctors illegally prescribing dangerous 'gender transition' drugs to children," Mr. Paxton said in an Oct. 30 news release regarding the lawsuit. "State law forbids prescribing these interventions to minors because they have irreversible and damaging effects. Any physician found doing so will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."
- This marks the second time within the month that Mr. Paxton has sued a physician over gender-affirming care. On Oct. 17, his office announced a similar lawsuit against May Chi Lau, MD, a Dallas-based UT Southwestern Medical Center physician, marking the first time in the country an attorney general has taken legal action against an individual physician over transition-related care.
- Both of the lawsuits seek financial penalties and revocation of the physicians' medical licenses. Dr. Granados, who works in private practice, did not respond to The Texas Tribune's request for comment. He previously worked as an assistant professor at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso medical school. Becker's has reached out to the university and will update this report if more information becomes available.
- The American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics are among major medical associations that refute claims from Mr. Paxton's office that gender-affirming care is "experimental" and lacks scientific evidence to support its benefits. The AAP said such care is effective in and necessary to treat gender dysphoria, a diagnosis given to patients, "who experience impairment in peer and/or family relationships, school performance, or other aspects of their life as a consequence of the incongruence between their assigned sex and their gender identity."