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Related: About this forumCourt enters a statewide injunction barring Texas from investigating families of trans children
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Court enters a statewide injunction barring Texas from investigating families of trans children (Original Post)
LetMyPeopleVote
Mar 2022
OP
Texas Democrats Condemn Texas Republicans' Continued Campaign of Cruelty Against Trans Youth
LetMyPeopleVote
Mar 2022
#3
ACLU Statement TEXAS COURT BLOCKS STATE FROM INVESTIGATING FAMILIES OF TRANSGENDER YOUTH
LetMyPeopleVote
Mar 2022
#4
IngridsLittleAngel
(1,962 posts)1. Thank goodness...
The problem, though, is while we've taken this round, this isn't over. They'll be at it again tomorrow. They'll appeal. They'll file more lawsuits. They may even defy this judge's orders. So... One small step. But we all know Nazis never go down quietly, so... Now it's time to see what they do and what the hell the next battle is.
I hate these damned bigots. I hate them beyond words. Even if this gets stopped permanently, they've still done plenty to hurt and scare people.... which was the goal all along.
Thank you, Judge Meachum Clark.
LetMyPeopleVote
(152,001 posts)2. Austin judge orders Texas to stop investigating trans kids' parents
https://www.courthousenews.com/austin-judge-halts-texas-investigations-of-trans-childrens-parents/
AUSTIN (CN) A Texas state court halted a new Texas Department of Family Protective Services (DFPS) policy of investigating the parents of transgender children for child abuse for providing gender-affirming care, such as hormone therapy, to their kids.
The Friday evening order is the latest event in a weeklong civil lawsuit filed by the parents of a trans child and a Houston-area psychologist, who challenged Texas Governor Greg Abbotts Feb. 25 directive to the agency ordering it to consider encouraging medically recommended treatment of gender dysphoria as child abuse.
Gender-affirming care was not investigated as child abuse by DFPS until after Feb. 22, 2022. The series of directives and decisions by the governor, the executive director and other decision-makers at DFPS changed the status quo for transgender children and their families, as well as professionals who offer treatment, throughout the state of Texas, announced District Judge AMy Meachum at the conclusion of a hearing on the requested statewide injunction. The governors directive was given the effect of a new law or a new agency rule despite no new legislation, regulation or even stated agency policy. [Texas Governor Greg] Abbott and [DFPS] Commissioner [Jaime] Masters actions violate separation of powers by impermissibly approaching into the legislative domain.
In her decision, Meachum highlighted the consequences that the controversial policy has had on the family who brought the suit.
The Friday evening order is the latest event in a weeklong civil lawsuit filed by the parents of a trans child and a Houston-area psychologist, who challenged Texas Governor Greg Abbotts Feb. 25 directive to the agency ordering it to consider encouraging medically recommended treatment of gender dysphoria as child abuse.
Gender-affirming care was not investigated as child abuse by DFPS until after Feb. 22, 2022. The series of directives and decisions by the governor, the executive director and other decision-makers at DFPS changed the status quo for transgender children and their families, as well as professionals who offer treatment, throughout the state of Texas, announced District Judge AMy Meachum at the conclusion of a hearing on the requested statewide injunction. The governors directive was given the effect of a new law or a new agency rule despite no new legislation, regulation or even stated agency policy. [Texas Governor Greg] Abbott and [DFPS] Commissioner [Jaime] Masters actions violate separation of powers by impermissibly approaching into the legislative domain.
In her decision, Meachum highlighted the consequences that the controversial policy has had on the family who brought the suit.
LetMyPeopleVote
(152,001 posts)3. Texas Democrats Condemn Texas Republicans' Continued Campaign of Cruelty Against Trans Youth
LetMyPeopleVote
(152,001 posts)4. ACLU Statement TEXAS COURT BLOCKS STATE FROM INVESTIGATING FAMILIES OF TRANSGENDER YOUTH
Link to tweet
AUSTIN, Texas The Travis County District Court issued an injunction today blocking the State of Texas from implementing a new directive that targeted trans youth. The directive ordered the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to investigate parents who work with medical professionals to provide their adolescent transgender children with medically necessary treatment. The directive could have led to transgender youth being placed in foster care and parents criminally charged with child abuse.
The courts decisive ruling today brings some needed relief to trans youth in Texas but we cannot stop fighting, said Brian Klosterboer, ACLU of Texas attorney. Todays witnesses including a parent targeted by these attacks, experts on medical care, and a supervisor within Texas Child Protective Services gave courageous and emotional testimony about the fear and harm caused by these unlawful actions. All trans young people deserve to live freely as their true selves.
The decision came at the end of a day-long hearing in a lawsuit filed on behalf of two parents a DFPS employee and her spouse with a transgender child and Dr. Megan Mooney, a licensed psychologist who is considered a mandatory reporter under Texas law and cannot comply with the governors directive without harming her clients and violating her ethical obligations.
We feel relieved and vindicated that the judge understood the magnitude and breadth of the harm that would have resulted if Texas child welfare agency at the direction of the governor were allowed to continue enforcing this lawless directive, said Paul Castillo, Senior Counsel at Lambda Legal. Parents who love their transgender children and work with healthcare providers to support and affirm their well-being should be celebrated, rather than investigated as criminals as the state sought to do here. We are grateful that the judge issued an order today preventing enforcement of these directives statewide against any family in Texas, and made clear that no one who counts as a mandatory reporter can be forced to turn in families for investigation simply for doing what is right for their child.
The judge recognized the governor and DFPSs actions for what they were unauthorized and unconstitutional exercises of power that cause severe, immediate, and devastating harms to transgender youth and their families across Texas, said Chase Strangio, deputy director for Trans Justice with the American Civil Liberties Union LGBTQ & HIV Project. We are relieved for Texas families and will never stop fighting for trans justice.
The courts decisive ruling today brings some needed relief to trans youth in Texas but we cannot stop fighting, said Brian Klosterboer, ACLU of Texas attorney. Todays witnesses including a parent targeted by these attacks, experts on medical care, and a supervisor within Texas Child Protective Services gave courageous and emotional testimony about the fear and harm caused by these unlawful actions. All trans young people deserve to live freely as their true selves.
The decision came at the end of a day-long hearing in a lawsuit filed on behalf of two parents a DFPS employee and her spouse with a transgender child and Dr. Megan Mooney, a licensed psychologist who is considered a mandatory reporter under Texas law and cannot comply with the governors directive without harming her clients and violating her ethical obligations.
We feel relieved and vindicated that the judge understood the magnitude and breadth of the harm that would have resulted if Texas child welfare agency at the direction of the governor were allowed to continue enforcing this lawless directive, said Paul Castillo, Senior Counsel at Lambda Legal. Parents who love their transgender children and work with healthcare providers to support and affirm their well-being should be celebrated, rather than investigated as criminals as the state sought to do here. We are grateful that the judge issued an order today preventing enforcement of these directives statewide against any family in Texas, and made clear that no one who counts as a mandatory reporter can be forced to turn in families for investigation simply for doing what is right for their child.
The judge recognized the governor and DFPSs actions for what they were unauthorized and unconstitutional exercises of power that cause severe, immediate, and devastating harms to transgender youth and their families across Texas, said Chase Strangio, deputy director for Trans Justice with the American Civil Liberties Union LGBTQ & HIV Project. We are relieved for Texas families and will never stop fighting for trans justice.