NYU Langone Health late Monday disclosed that it has been served with a federal grand jury subpoena from the U.S. Department of Justice seeking information about gender-affirming care delivered to minors at its facilities. The hospital system said the request was one of several subpoenas issued last Thursday by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Northern District of Texas.
According to NYU Langone, the subpoena asks for records concerning patients aged 18 and under who received gender-affirming care at its sites since 2020. The request also asks for the names of individuals at NYU Langone who were involved in providing such care. In its statement, the hospital said it is evaluating how to respond and emphasized its commitment to protecting patients' protected health information.
NYU Langone said it had already closed its program for treating transgender youth in February, attributing that decision to the "current regulatory environment." The system made the subpoena public under the New York State Shield Law, a statute that requires entities receiving legal demands for information about abortion care or gender-affirming care to notify affected patients before complying.
A spokesperson for the Department of Justice declined to comment on the subpoena. The development marks the first publicly known instance of the Justice Department deploying a grand jury to obtain evidence for a criminal investigation in connection with the administration's broader effort to scrutinize treatments for transgender youth.
The federal action follows an executive order signed shortly after the new administration took office in January 2025 that ended federal funding and support for gender-affirming care for transgender youth. That order described such care as a "stain on our Nation's history" and a "dangerous trend," and it directed the Department of Justice to prioritize investigations related to these treatments.
Major U.S. medical organizations have voiced support for gender-affirming care and argue that government bans on treatment could be inappropriate and harmful to the physical and mental health of transgender youth. The Justice Department previously announced, in July, that it had issued more than 20 subpoenas to doctors and clinics involved in providing gender-affirming care to children nationwide. Those earlier subpoenas were administrative in nature and were not obtained through a grand jury.
Judges have quashed some of the administrative subpoenas in whole or in part, with several courts finding that the Justice Department had misused administrative subpoena powers in attempts to pressure healthcare providers into stopping treatments that remain legal in their states. Last week, the Justice Department shifted tactics when it filed a lawsuit in northern Texas and obtained a court order enforcing an administrative subpoena issued last year to Brown Health-operated Rhode Island Hospital.
NYU Langone said it recognized that the subpoena's existence may be worrying to patients and staff. The hospital reiterated that it takes the privacy of protected health information seriously as it reviews its options and next steps in responding to the grand jury demand.
Key points
- NYU Langone disclosed a federal grand jury subpoena seeking records on gender-affirming care provided to patients aged 18 and under since 2020.
- The hospital said it closed its transgender youth program in February, citing the current regulatory environment, and announced the subpoena under the New York State Shield Law.
- The Justice Department has previously issued administrative subpoenas to clinicians and clinics and has recently pursued court enforcement actions in northern Texas.
Risks and uncertainties
- Legal uncertainty for healthcare providers offering gender-affirming care, as federal investigations and subpoenas could lead to litigation or operational disruptions - this primarily affects the healthcare sector.
- Potential for further court challenges and enforcement actions as the Justice Department shifts from administrative subpoenas to grand jury and court-enforced processes - this implicates hospitals and health systems that provide such treatments.