The FBI has launched criminal investigations into three major children’s hospitals for potentially performing illegal sex-change procedures on minors, marking a significant enforcement of President Trump’s executive order against irreversible medical interventions for children.
Key Takeaways
- Boston Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Colorado, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles are under FBI investigation for potential violations of federal statutes against female genital mutilation in relation to gender-affirming treatments for minors.
- Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed the Justice Department to enforce 18 U.S.C. § 116, which criminalizes female genital mutilation, with penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment per count.
- The Justice Department is forming a Coalition Against Child Mutilation to work with state attorneys general on protecting children from irreversible medical procedures.
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles plans to close its Center for Transyouth Health and Development by July 2025 due to mounting legal and financial risks.
- Legislation is being drafted to allow children and parents to hold medical professionals accountable for damages resulting from such procedures.
FBI Targets “Dirty Dozen” Hospitals Performing Gender Procedures on Minors
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has initiated criminal probes into three prominent pediatric medical centers: Boston Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Colorado, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. These investigations specifically target the hospitals’ practices regarding gender-affirming treatments for minors, which may violate federal statutes prohibiting female genital mutilation. The investigations follow President Trump’s executive order to prevent irreversible medical interventions for minors experiencing gender dysphoria and reflect his administration’s commitment to protecting vulnerable children from what many conservatives consider experimental medical procedures.
“I am putting medical practitioners, hospitals and clinics on notice: In the United States, it is a felony to perform, attempt to perform or conspire to perform female genital mutilation (\”FGM\”) on any person under the age of 18,” said Pam Bondi, Attorney General in a stern warning to medical facilities nationwide.
The three hospitals currently under investigation appear on Do No Harm’s “Dirty Dozen” list, which identifies facilities promoting sex changes for minors. Do No Harm, an organization dedicated to opposing certain medical practices related to gender ideology, has created the “Stop the Harm Database” to highlight hospitals involved in such controversial practices. The organization has been instrumental in bringing attention to these facilities and their treatment protocols, which many medical professionals argue lack sufficient long-term studies on safety and effectiveness for children.
Justice Department Takes Strong Action Against Child Mutilation
Attorney General Bondi has issued a comprehensive memorandum directing the Justice Department to rigorously enforce 18 U.S.C. § 116, which criminalizes female genital mutilation. The Trump administration is treating certain gender-affirming surgeries performed on minors as potential violations of this statute. Bondi emphasized the severity of these crimes, which carry significant legal penalties for medical practitioners who perform such procedures on children. The Justice Department is actively forming a Coalition Against Child Mutilation to coordinate with state attorneys general on addressing these concerns.
“That crime carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years per count. I am directing all U.S. Attorneys to investigate all suspected cases of FGM — under the banner of so-called ‘gender-affirming care’ or otherwise — and to prosecute all FGM offenses to the fullest extent possible,” said Pam Bondi, Attorney General demonstrating the administration’s serious approach to enforcement.
Legislation is currently being drafted that would allow children who have undergone these procedures and their parents to hold medical professionals accountable for damages. This legal framework aims to provide recourse for families who believe their children were subjected to inappropriate or harmful medical interventions under the guise of gender-affirming care. The move represents a significant shift in policy from previous administrations, which had generally supported access to such treatments for minors experiencing gender dysphoria.
Hospitals Respond to Legal Pressure and Changing Political Landscape
The three hospitals under investigation have responded differently to the increasing legal scrutiny. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has announced plans to close its Center for Transyouth Health and Development by July 2025, citing the growing legal and financial risks associated with providing such services. “This center has been one of the largest providers of gender-affirming care for minors in the country, and its closure signals a significant retreat from these controversial medical practices in response to the changing legal landscape,” according to the FBI.
Children’s Hospital Colorado initially suspended transgender treatments for minors following President Trump’s executive order but resumed them after a judge temporarily blocked the order. Boston Children’s Hospital continues to offer transgender hormone therapy and puberty blockers to minors, though it claims to only perform surgeries on patients over 18 years of age. However, allegations against Boston Children’s Hospital include providing sex-change treatments to children as young as 3 and performing surgeries without proper parental consent, claims that the hospital has not directly addressed.
Dr. Stanley Goldfarb from Do No Harm has expressed strong support for the FBI investigations, advocating for evidence-based care over what he describes as experimental practices that may cause irreversible harm to children. None of the hospitals have publicly commented on the specific details of the FBI investigations, and the FBI has maintained its standard policy of neither confirming nor denying the existence of ongoing investigations, leaving many questions unanswered as the probes continue.
