Texas court tosses appeal of order halting investigations of trans teens

A Texas appeals court on Wednesday rejected Attorney General Ken Paxton’s efforts to investigate alleged child abuse by parents of transgender children who seek gender-affirming care.

The ruling allows a lower court in Austin to hold a hearing on the case this Friday, the Texas Tribune reported.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas and Lambda Legal are suing the state to stop the investigations on behalf of the mother of a 16-year-old transgender youth, who says she was investigated by the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS).

Brian Klosterboer, an attorney with ACLU of Texas, told the Texas Tribune “this crisis in Texas is continuing every day.”

“This appeal was always groundless and DFPS and the courts need to stop this egregious government overreach,” the attorney told the outlet.

Paxton (R) last month said in a nonbinding legal opinion he believes gender-affirming care and puberty blockers for transgender teens amounted to “child abuse.”

Shortly after, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) directed DFPS to investigate “any reported instances of these abusive procedures” in Texas.

Attorneys filed suit to block the probes last week. The mother in that lawsuit, an employee of DFPS herself, was placed on administrative leave.

Family members of the transgender teen say they “are terrified for [the teen’s] health and well-being, and for our family.”