Current Events > Texas Supreme Court OKs child abuse inquiries into the families of trans kids

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.npr.org/2022/05/13/1098779201/texas-supreme-court-transgender-gender-affirming-child-abuse

In a unanimous ruling on a controversial issue, the Texas Supreme Court on Friday has cleared the way for the state child welfare agency to resume investigating parents and doctors who provide gender-affirming care for trans youth actions that Gov. Greg Abbott has equated to child abuse. It's a blow to Texas families with transgender children, some of whom are departing the state or considering moves because of the threat of these investigations. The ruling overturns a lower court's injunction from March 11, barring state officials from pursuing Abbott's Feb. 22. directive that instructed the Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate "any reported instances" of a range of treatments and procedures, including the administration of hormones and puberty-blocking drugs. The parents of a transgender teen sued to stop the investigations, and in early March, District Judge Amy Clark Meachum issued a temporary order halting an investigation into the parents of the 16-year-old girl. Meachum later issued another order at the statewide level, temporarily blocking all such investigations stemming from Abbott's directive. A Texas appeals court later upheld that injunction, but today's action by the state's highest court has lifted Meachum's statewide order.

"Denying healthcare to trans kids is life-threatening," the ACLU of Texas said. It added, "Multiple court rulings have now made clear that enforcement of this policy causes harm to youth and their families." In a joint statement posted by Lambda Legal, the advocacy groups called the decision "a win for our clients and the rule of law." The supreme court made it clear, they said, that "DFPS is not required to follow the governor's directive or the attorney general's non-binding opinion" on medical care for transgender youth. Both Abbott and Paxton are facing reelection votes this November. In response to the court's ruling, Paxton tweeted that he had secured "a win for families against the gender ideology of doctors" and others.

Lebronwon posted...

In a unanimous ruling

Yikes

maybe we just shouldn't have texas anymore

Reason to never visit Texas #3546534774

Texas: America's Toilet

That suuuuuuckssss!!! Wow

I have a friend in Austin, older guy I met through work. We talk about stuff like this from time to time, and he was convinced the courts would shoot it down. I think there's a faith liberals have in the judicial system that is woefully naive in this moment.

in TX following a doctor's orders equates to 'child abuse'. goodness, these people are fucking stupid

FigureOfSpeech posted...

maybe we just shouldn't have texas anymore

maybe we just shouldn't have Republicans anymore

Giant_Aspirin posted...

maybe we just shouldn't have Republicans anymore

We absolutely should not have republicans anymore.

Intro2Logic posted...

I have a friend in Austin, older guy I met through work. We talk about stuff like this from time to time, and he was convinced the courts would shoot it down. I think there's a faith liberals have in the judicial system that is woefully naive in this moment.

I had a lingering amount of faith in the judicial branch given how it refused to cave to Trump's bullshit election fraud claims. That shred of faith has disappeared in the 18 months since.

Giant_Aspirin posted...

in TX following a doctor's orders equates to 'child abuse'. goodness, these people are fucking stupid

Don't worry, we were the liberal cabal as soon as we contradicted Trump on hydroxychloroquine.

Eclixor posted...

Yikes

This is what happens when people are allowed to vote for judges.

Another shit hole state to avoid

Giant_Aspirin posted...

maybe we just shouldn't have Republicans anymore

I think I might have posted that verbatim in another topic a few days ago lol

Unknown5uspect posted...

This is what happens when people are allowed to vote for judges.

That's a very antidemocratic statement.

Every election you see that some precincts have hours long lines and that is not even counting time parking and I doubt that there is evening public transit. (point being that Abbott does not represent Texas.

I have long since stopped pretending that I understand the ethics issues. However, I can tell the Texas governor that those parents have done more research and given more thought to the matter than he has.

Imagine having a whole state's Supreme Court going to prison for the rest of their lives.

Now let's make that a reality.

Eclixor posted...

That's a very antidemocratic statement.

... And?

Texas reminding us again that it's a third-world shithole.

I can't believe "doctors and teachers are gonna turn your kids trans!" is a real belief with real traction in 2022.

How convenient that the party that cries about government overreach can claim their blatant overreach is moral and just by screaming "child abuse" and "parental rights".

Somehow, they've convinced their voters that the only way to have freedom for all is to remove freedom for some.

Looks like it's not quite as open and shut, there's still some hope - the TX supreme court didn't say Abbot's directive was legal as much as the lower court also didn't have the power to pass an injunciton
The supreme court said that while Abbot and Paxton are within their rights to air their views, the child welfare agency is "not compelled by law to follow them."
As for the lower court's action, the high court said, "Just as the Governor lacks authority to issue a binding 'directive' to DFPS, the court of appeals lacks authority to afford statewide relief to nonparties."
Here's how the court summarized the current situation:

• The court of appeals order only protects the plaintiffs, not everyone in their situation;
• Both Abbott's directive and an opinion from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are "nonbinding";
• Family and Protective Services has "the same discretion to investigate reports of child abuse that it had before" Abbott and Paxton issued those documents.

The merits of the plaintiffs' claims and other matters, the supreme court said, remain to be determined in district court.

I loved visiting Austin but overall fuck Texas

I wish I had the means to leave.

Im kinda starting to get the feeling that conservatives really want to erase queer people from existence.

just a small feeling Im getting.

greyfox747 posted...

Im kinda starting to get the feeling that conservatives really want to erase queer people from existence.

just a small feeling Im getting.

No way

They'd never overturn Roe v Wade either it's just posturing...

It's too bad we can't just imprison the Republican party for crimes against humanity.

Texas is one of the worst states in America.