Texas Judge Halts Child Abuse Investigations Into Parents Of Transgender Children

On Friday, a Texas judge temporarily halted a measure that would investigate parents of trans-children seeking gender-affirming care.

Travis County District Judge Amy Clark Meachum issued a statewide temporary injunction against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s order. She concluded that offering gender-affirming care isn’t enough for the authorities to investigate parents for child abuse or neglect.

The halt comes after Abbott directed the Department of Family and Protective Services to open child abuse probes into parents who seek out gender-affirming care for their transgender children. Abbott specifically wants to go after reversible puberty blockers and reassignment surgeries, which are seldom performed on minors. Under the new push, nine investigations have been opened. However, the injunction has stopped these inquiries and any potential criminal charges associated with them.

Randa Mulanax, a former investigative supervisor with DFPS, resigned once the program rolled out. She claims that employees were instructed not to communicate with coworkers about the cases via email or text, which she calls “unethical.”

Meachum believes that Abbott’s mandate is “beyond the scope of his duty and unconstitutional.” She is confident that Abbott’s directive will be permanently overturned. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he plans to appeal the court’s decision.