A group of trans New Yorkers has taken the Trump administration to court, filing a class-action lawsuit in Manhattan on Tuesday to stop NYU Langone Health from handing over their medical records to federal prosecutors. The move comes after the hospital disclosed that it received a grand jury subpoena seeking information on minors who received gender-affirming care. The plaintiffs argue that turning over those files would violate constitutional privacy rights as well as New York’s strict medical confidentiality laws.
What the suit asks the court to do
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, names both NYU Langone and the U.S. Department of Justice and asks a judge to bar the hospital from sharing any records covered by the subpoena. It is brought on behalf of three transgender minors, suing through their parents, and two adults who received treatment at NYU Langone, including puberty blockers, chest-masculinizing surgery and prescriptions to suppress menstruation. Lambda Legal filed the case with support from the American Civil Liberties Union and the New York Civil Liberties Union, as reported by Gothamist.
Where the subpoena came from
NYU Langone has said it received a grand jury subpoena on May 7 from the U.S. attorney’s office in the Northern District of Texas. The subpoena seeks records on patients under 18 who received gender-affirming care between 2020 and 2026, along with the names of providers involved in that care. The hospital said it is one of several institutions that received similar demands and that it is still evaluating how to respond. The subpoena and the broader DOJ investigation were disclosed in reporting by The Associated Press.
What the government is asking for
According to the lawsuit, prosecutors gave NYU Langone until June 10 to produce 17 categories of material, including insurance claims, patient communications and complete personnel files for anyone authorized to provide or bill for the procedures at issue. The plaintiffs describe the subpoena as sweeping and say it would expose extremely sensitive information about minors and other patients who sought gender-affirming care. A copy of the grand jury subpoena was attached to the court filing, according to Gothamist.
Legal battleground and precedent
The suit argues that the subpoena violates the Fourth Amendment and New York laws that protect physician-patient confidentiality, and it asks the Southern District of New York to stop the DOJ from obtaining or using the records in any criminal investigation. Courts have already begun to push back in related disputes. A federal judge in Rhode Island recently limited or blocked a similar DOJ demand, a development the New York plaintiffs are likely to spotlight in their arguments. The DOJ has declined to comment on grand jury investigations, according to The Associated Press.
Local fallout and next steps
The case lands after months of upheaval around NYU Langone’s treatment of transgender youth. The hospital discontinued its Transgender Youth Health Program in February, drawing sharp criticism from families and prompting New York’s attorney general to direct the hospital to restore services. Advocates warn that criminal subpoenas like this one could have a chilling effect on providers and push families to seek care outside the state. NYU Langone has said it is still evaluating its response to the subpoena and has not publicly stated whether it will meet the production deadline, as reported by NY1.
What to watch
With a June 10 deadline hanging over the case, the court is expected to move quickly on competing efforts to block or enforce the subpoena. Lawyers for the plaintiffs say the suit is meant to protect a class of New Yorkers whose medical privacy is on the line, and the outcome could influence how other courts handle similar DOJ subpoenas targeting gender-affirming care around the country, as outlined by The Washington Post.
