A Kansas City hospital is suing Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey over what it calls his "burdensome" requests for records on gender-affirming care. In a lawsuit filed Friday in Jackson County, attorneys for Children's Mercy Hospital ask a judge to deny Bailey's 54 investigative demands for records and testimony despite the hospital facing no allegations of wrongdoing, the AP reports. Bailey has demanded that the hospital provide records on any prescriptions for hormone blockers as well as surgeries for transgender patients, the lawsuit says. He's also asking for information on when the hospital has reported child abuse.
In February, Bailey, a Republican who was appointed attorney general in November, announced he was investigating the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children's Hospital after an employee alleged the center was providing children with gender-affirming care without informed consent. Bailey has since expanded the investigation to other health care providers in Missouri. On Thursday, Bailey introduced an emergency rule that will impose several restrictions before adults and children can receive drugs, hormones, or surgeries "for the purpose of transitioning gender." Bailey's spokeswoman, Madeline Sieren, did not immediately return a request for comment Saturday.
Children's Mercy argues in its lawsuit that releasing the information sought by Bailey would violate state and federal laws, including those involving private medical decisions between patients and doctors. The hospital also contends Bailey doesn't have the jurisdiction to investigate health care companies and physicians, which are regulated by the Missouri Board of Healing Arts. The lawsuit argues many of Bailey's requests are "poorly disguised interrogatories" that have nothing to do with gender-affirming care.
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