Ken Paxton is suing Dallas doctor for providing gender-affirming care to minors

EARLIER COVERAGE: Texas lawmakers ban treatments for transgender minors

Texas lawmakers sent a bill to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk that would ban treatments for transgender children and teens. It is a key proposal in a cluster of Republican bills that aim to impose restrictions on LGBTQ Texans this session.

Attorney General of Texas Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against A Dallas doctor who allegedly prescribed testosterone to minors who wanted to transition from their biological gender.

The lawsuit alleges that Dr. M. Brett Cooper, an employee of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center who has hospital privileges at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, prescribed testosterone to 15 minor patients.

According to the lawsuit, the biologically female patients were between 15 and 17 years old.

Texel has succeeded Senate Bill 14 in 2023, which prohibits medical providers from prescribing certain treatments for gender-affirming care for minors, including cross-sex hormones.

The lawsuit also alleges that Cooper falsified medical records, prescriptions and billing information in an effort to “intentionally conceal the unlawful conduct.”

Paxton’s office calls Cooper a “mocker who is harming the health and safety of Texas children.”

The lawsuit also calls the doctor a “radical gender activist” and includes social media posts and publications by Cooper showing his opposition to Senate Bill 14.

As of Friday, Cooper’s X account had been made private.

The lawsuit seeks $10,000 in civil penalties per violation and a temporary injunction. SB 14 also directs the Texas Medical Board to revoke the medical license of anyone who violates the law.

Ken Paxton (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

This is the third Texas doctor charged by the Attorney General’s Office for allegedly violating Senate Bill 14.

Paxton previously filed a lawsuit Dr. May Lau of UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and dr. Hector Granados of Pediatric Endocrinology Associates in El Paso.

“Texas has prohibited physicians from prescribing these harmful and unsubstantiated ‘gender transition medications’ to children,” Attorney General Paxton said in a statement. “These medical professionals cannot willfully ignore the law and endanger the health of young people.”