JEFFERSON CITY — Planned Parenthood is seeking a second opinion after the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Circuit Court last week ordered the organization to turn over certain transgender care records to the Missouri attorney general’s office.
Planned Parenthood of the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Region and Southwest Missouri on Friday filed a notice of appeal in the case.
Last week, Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer ruled Attorney General Andrew Bailey was entitled to records not protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the federal law known as HIPAA that protects patient privacy.
Richard Muniz, interim president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood of the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Region and Southwest Missouri, accused Bailey, a Republican of weaponizing the attorney general’s office for a political campaign targeting the state’s most vulnerable “rather than work to promote the health and rights of transgender and gender-expansive Missourians.â€
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“We’re asking the court of appeals to put a halt to Bailey’s pretextual and lawless investigation, because Missourians should not have to live in fear of having their essential and lifesaving care dismantled — or their private health information scrutinized by politicians,†he said in a statement.
“Planned Parenthood remains committed to ensuring the rights to privacy and health care are protected,†Muniz said. “When we said we won’t back down from this sham investigation, we meant it.â€
In response, Bailey said in a statement Friday, “It’s extremely questionable that Planned Parenthood is actively stonewalling our investigations. If we have to continue to go to court to protect children to uncover what went on here, that’s exactly what we’ll do.â€
Planned Parenthood initially sued over the civil investigative demand in March 2023.
The attorney general said at the time the demand came after finding out that the clinic deviated from standard care practices by providing “life-altering gender transition drugs to children without any therapy assessment,†spokeswoman Madeline Sieren said then, the Associated Press reported.
The court last Thursday said Bailey’s civil investigative demand arose out of the attorney general’s investigation of the Washington University Pediatric Transgender Center and contained 54 separate requests and 15 subparts.
Stelzer said the attorney general’s office had broad powers to investigate consumer protection cases.
“The Defendant is investigating possible dishonesty by Plaintiff in their medical and billing practices,†Stelzer said.
Among records demanded by the state, the attorney general’s office wants all documents containing “operating policies and standards of care for clients,†and demands Planned Parenthood describe in detail “what you understand to be the standard of care for Clients identifying as transgender.â€
Bailey launched an investigation of the Washington University Transgender Center at ºüÀêÊÓƵ Children’s Hospital last year after a former case manager there, Jamie Reed, contacted the state alleging children received puberty blockers and hormone therapies without proper screening or parental consent.
A lawsuit Washington University filed in December said the attorney general’s office issued civil investigative demands to the university as well as to two staff members.
Washington University is seeking to modify state demands in ºüÀêÊÓƵ Circuit Court. That case was still pending Friday.