Letitia James challenges Trump, threatens hospitals that plan to cease trans treatments for minors

New York Attorney General Letitia James is determined to become Donald Trump's nemesis. After securing the conviction for business fraud in New York of the then-candidate last year, James has begun the new term challenging legislation on transgender medical treatment by sending letters threatening to sue hospitals if they cease to provide this treatment for children.

In the letter, James warns that healthcare facilities that stop such care for these people will incur a crime of discrimination under New York law. She also recalled that the judge put the administration's actions on hold after both herself and 22 other attorneys general took Trump's executive orders affecting the treatment of minors with gender dysphoria to court, both in terms of the ban and the withdrawal of federal funding from centers that defy the order.

"Electing to refuse services to a class of individuals based on their protected status, such as withholding the availability of services from transgender individuals based on their gender identity or their diagnosis of gender dysphoria, while offering such services to cisgender individuals, is discrimination under New York law".

‘Regardless of the availability of federal funding’

James goes further to warn that, under this anti-discrimination legislation, hospitals are obligated to continue treatment to transgender minors "regardless of the availability of federal funding."

"Regardless of the availability of federal funding, we write to further remind you of your obligations to comply with New York State laws, including those that prohibit discrimination against individuals based on their membership in a protected class, such as sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, military status, disability, or marital status. See, e.g., N.Y. Exec. Law § 296(2); N.Y. Civ. Rights Law § 40-c."

James invites whistleblowers and witnesses to come forward to her office

The New York Attorney General ends the letter by encouraging the recipient to report possible violations of her directions to her office: "if you have evidence or witnesses to possible violations of the Order, please contact intergovernmental.affairs@ag.ny.gov with your preferred email address and phone number and we will get back to you as soon as possible." If you have evidence or witnesses to possible violationsof the Order, please contact intergovernmental.affairs@ag.ny.gov with your preferred email address and phone number and we will get back to you as soon as possible.