JEFFERSON CITY 鈥 A 狐狸视频 judge has ordered Planned Parenthood to turn over certain documents to Attorney General Andrew Bailey in his ongoing investigation of transgender health care providers.
狐狸视频 Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer on Thursday ruled that the state鈥檚 Merchandising Practices Act entitled the Republican attorney general to documents he requested that weren鈥檛 protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the federal law known as HIPAA that protects patient privacy.
Bailey, in a news release, declared victory. He called it a 鈥渂ig day鈥 and said 鈥渘o stone will be left unturned.鈥
鈥淭here is no more important fight than to ensure Missouri is the safest state in the nation for children,鈥 Bailey said.
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Richard Muniz, interim president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the 狐狸视频 Region and Southwest Missouri, said in a statement the decision was a 鈥渄eep disappointment鈥 but said 鈥渨e are grateful the court understood the Attorney General could not violate the privacy of our patients.鈥
鈥淏y allowing the Attorney General to continue his sham investigation, the court has green-lit the ongoing assault on Missourians鈥 health care,鈥 Muniz said.
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 鈥渓ife-altering gender transition drugs to children without any therapy assessment,鈥 spokeswoman Madeline Sieren said then, the Associated Press reported.
The court Thursday said Bailey鈥檚 civil investigative demand arose out of the attorney general鈥檚 investigation of the Washington University Pediatric Transgender Center and contained 54 separate requests and 15 subparts.
Planned Parenthood, in arguing to block the demand, said Bailey 鈥渇ailed to show how Plaintiff (Planned Parenthood) is directly involved in his investigation鈥 and said the demand was unauthorized, Stelzer said.
The court said Bailey argued the demand should stand because 鈥渉e has an affidavit that alleges intentional dishonesty in Plaintiff鈥檚 medical and billing practices.鈥
Stelzer said the attorney general鈥檚 office had broad powers to investigate consumer protection cases.
鈥淭he Defendant is investigating possible dishonesty by Plaintiff in their medical and billing practices,鈥 Stelzer said. 鈥淚t is clear from the statute that the Defendant has the broad investigative powers when the consumer is in possible need of protection and there is no dispute in this matter that the MMPA (Missouri Merchandising Practices Act) applies.鈥
Bailey launched an investigation of the Washington University Transgender Center at 狐狸视频 Children鈥檚 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.
State legislators approved a law restricting transgender care for minors, which 狐狸视频 Circuit Judge Steven Ohmer allowed to take effect in August as a legal dispute played out.
After that, Washington University announced it would no longer provide puberty blockers or hormone therapy to any transgender minors, even those exempted from the new state law because they were already receiving treatment.
Sieren said Friday the investigation into Washington University was ongoing. Court records show Washington University sued the attorney general鈥檚 office in December, seeking to modify state demands.
Washington University鈥檚 petition said the attorney general鈥檚 office issued civil investigative demands to the university as well as to two staff members.
The demand to Washington University 鈥渟eeks all records for all patients treated at the TGC (Transgender Center), among other requests seeking private and protected health information. These records involve more than 1,000 patients.鈥
Attorney James Bennett asked the 狐狸视频 Circuit Court to exclude from the demands matters outside the merchandising practices act鈥檚 scope or those protected by HIPAA. That case was pending Friday.