NYU Langone says it was subpoenaed over teen patients who received gender affirming care
NYU Langone is warning patients that the hospital has been subpoenaed by the Justice Department to provide information on patients under 18 who received gender affirming care, as well as the healthcare providers who treated them.
LGBTQ rights advocates rallied in Manhattan Wednesday morning. They called on the hospital to ignore the subpoena.
"It is outrageous that a MAGA-appointed attorney in Texas, under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Justice, is persecuting the parents of trans patients here in New York City," Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal said.
"New York has strong protections in place to protect the privacy of patient records. Every health care institution in New York should seek to protect both patients and providers," a spokesperson for New York Attorney General Letitia James said.
New York's Shield Law
Under New York's Shield Law, hospitals are required to notify patients whose information the subpoena is seeking 30 days before complying with the subpoena.
"We understand that these developments may be concerning to our patients, providers, and others. Please know that NYU Langone takes the privacy of your protected health information very seriously and we are evaluating our response to the subpoena," NYU Langone said in a message to patients.
"Private medical records should never be weaponized as punishment for seeking lawful health care," James wrote on social media.
Calling out "political games"
"We will not allow anti-trans extremists to turn our hospitals into hunting grounds. Playing political games to weaponize Americans' private healthcare information is not just an attack on trans people — it is an attack on every single American who benefits from basic patient-provider privacy. NYU Langone has a moral and legal obligation to stand up to this power grab and hold the line to protect their patients," Tyler Hack of the Christopher Street Project said. "The New York Shield Law exists for this exact moment. The law requires that every New Yorker, trans or not, receive essential healthcare. NYU must follow New York State law and protect patients, providers, and the integrity of medical care. Trans kids deserve healthcare."
Earlier this year, NYU Langone announced it was ending its program that provides medical care for transgender youth amid threats from the Trump administration to withhold funding.
NYU Langone declined to comment on the subpoena.
CBS News New York has reached out the Justice Department, but we have not heard back as yet.