GOP Sen. Hawley to investigate Missouri children's hospital over gender treatments for minors

Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley will investigate a Missouri children's hospital over alleged medical malpractice in connection with gender-related treatments offered to minors.

In a Thursday letter, Hawley wrote to university administrators and hospital staff at the Washington University Pediatric Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital instructing them to preserve documents related to such treatments.

"Accountability is coming. Today, my office is launching an investigation into the Center’s treatment practices in order to present American taxpayers and parents with all the facts relevant to policymaking and medical treatment decisions," he wrote to Washington University in St. Louis Chancellor Andrew D. Martin and St. Louis Children’s Hospital President Trish M. Lollo.

"Starting immediately, your institutions must take steps to preserve all records, written and electronic, regarding gender-related treatments performed on minors since the opening of the Center," he instructed them.

Hawley indicated that the review was predicated by a report from The Free Press that included whistleblower testimony that the center was quick to proscribe gender-related treatments, even in marginal cases, and often downplayed the possible side effects.

Jamie Reed, a veteran at the center, published her testimony, recounting specific incidents in which she believed that center's treatments and handling of individual cases ultimately harmed the children.

"Many encounters with patients emphasized to me how little these young people understood the profound impacts changing gender would have on their bodies and minds," Reed wrote. "But the center downplayed the negative consequences, and emphasized the need for transition."

Hawley observed that the testimony from Reed followed earlier reports that the center was advising local educational authorities to conceal children's chosen gender identities from parents.

The Missouri Republican asked for a bevy information, including statistics on the nature and frequency and various gender treatments the center provided.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.