North Texas Family Says State Investigating Them For Seeking Care For Transgender Child

DENTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Another Texas family is being investigated by the state after Governor Gregg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton ordered the Department of Family and Protective services to investigate reports of minors receiving gender-affirming care as child abuse.

The family's attorney said this is just one of the many similar cases they are working on. He said the Briggle family is scared and worried, but they want people to know what is going on.

"We cannot tell parents in Texas what kind of medical care constitutes are child abuse, that's for doctors, and that's for parents," Ian Pittman with Jorgeson Pittman Law Firm said.

Over the last 10 business days, Pittman with Joegeson Pittman Law Firm has received more than 20 calls from families across the state. He said some of them are being investigated, meanwhile others fear they'll be next.

"This is going on everywhere in the state, this is not limited to a family in Dallas and a family in Austin," Pittman said. "There are dozens of people, dozens of families being investigated right now."

One of those families is the Briggles who live in Denton.

Pittman said the state started investigating them last week but they came public about it Tuesday.

"Any investigation into a family like this will find that no child abuse occurred. Just having an agent of the state knock on your door, pull your kids out of school, that in itself is terrorizing," Pittman said.

Attorney General Ken Paxton ordered the state to launch these investigations.

In a statement, Paxton said, "Sex change procedures on children and prescribing puberty-blockers to them is child abuse under Texas Law."

Wednesday, Texas Appeals Court sided with the parents of a transgender girl.

Nearly a week after a Travis County judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the state from investigating them.

"Both the trial court and court of appeals got it right and the state is Texas has consistently gotten it wrong," Pittman said.

Pittman said he and the Briggle family are optimistic for the future after this decision but only time will tell. The temporary block is specific for the unidentified family who already sued the state.

The hearing to decide whether on a wider ranging injunction to stop investigations is set for Friday.

No matter the decision, Pittman believes this is not the end of this legal process.