The Department of Justice has issued a warning to New York Attorney General Letitia James, urging her to step away from legal efforts against NYU Langone Health over the hospital’s decision to stop providing certain transgender surgical and hormonal procedures for minors.
In a letter sent Wednesday, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that NYU Langone’s exercise of “sound discretion” in refusing these services does not constitute discrimination under federal law. The DOJ emphasized its position aligns with the Supreme Court’s ruling in United States v. Skrmetti, which upheld Tennessee’s ban on specific transgender medical procedures for minors.
NYU Langone Health announced last month it would discontinue its Transgender Youth Health Program, citing the departure of its medical director and regulatory changes. A spokesperson for the hospital, Steve Ritea, explained: “Given the recent departure of our medical director, coupled with the current regulatory environment, we made the difficult decision to discontinue our Transgender Youth Health Program.”
New York Attorney General James had previously threatened NYU Langone with a 10-day deadline to reinstate the program, arguing that federal law does not require hospitals to cease transgender healthcare for minors—including puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy. Blanche clarified that the hospital’s policy does not prevent transgender minors from accessing puberty blockers for medical conditions unrelated to gender dysphoria, affirming compliance with federal law.
