Ken Paxton sues Dallas doctor for providing gender-affirming care to minors

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Texas lawmakers ban treatments for transgender minors

Texas lawmakers sent a bill to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk that will ban treatments for transgender children and teens. It's a main proposal in a cluster of GOP bills that aim to put restrictions on LGBTQ Texans this session.

Texas attorney general Ken Paxton has sued a Dallas doctor over allegedly prescribing testosterone to minors who were looking to transition from their biological sex.

The lawsuit claims doctor M. Brett Cooper, an employee at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and who has hospital privileges Children's Medical Center Dallas, prescribed testosterone to 15 minor patients.

The biologically female patients were between 15 and 17 years of age, according to the lawsuit.

Texas passed Senate Bill 14 in 2023, which prohibits medical providers from prescribing certain treatments for gender-affirming care for minors, including cross-sex hormones.

The lawsuit also claims Cooper falsified medical records, prescriptions and billing records in an attempt to "intentionally conceal the unlawful conduct."

Paxton's office calls Cooper a "scofflaw who is harming the health and safety of Texas children."

The suit also calls the doctor a "radical gender activist" and includes social media posts and publications by Cooper showing his opposition to Senate Bill 14.

As of Friday, Cooper's X account had been made private.

The lawsuit is seeking $10,000 in civil penalties per violation and a temporary injunction. SB 14 also directs the Texas Medical Board to revoke the medical license of anyone who violates the law.

Ken Paxton (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

This is the third Texas doctor to be sued by the Office of the Attorney General for allegedly violating Senate Bill 14.

Paxton previously sued Dr. May Lau of UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and Dr. Hector Granados of Pediatric Endocrinology Associates in El Paso.

"Texas has prohibited doctors from prescribing these damaging and unfounded ‘gender transition’ drugs to children," said Attorney General Paxton in a statement. "These medical professionals cannot willfully ignore the law and endanger the health of young people."