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Keywords

plaintiffdefendantstatuteinjunctionmotiondue process
plaintiffstatuteinjunctiondue process

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Doe v. Ladapo, 676 F.Supp.3d 1205, 29 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. D 177

Facts

The plaintiffs, parents of three transgender children, sought a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the enforcement of a Florida statute that prohibits transgender minors from receiving puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. The children, aged 8 and 11, require these treatments to affirm their gender identity and prevent the onset of male puberty, which would have significant negative effects on their mental and emotional well-being. The defendants include the Florida Surgeon General and various state medical boards, who argue that the statute is necessary for the welfare of minors.

The plaintiffs, parents of three transgender children, sought a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the enforcement of a Florida statute that prohibits transgender minors from receiving puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.

Issue

Does the Florida statute prohibiting transgender minors from receiving puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones violate the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses?

The plaintiffs assert banning treatment with GnRH agonists and cross-sex hormones violates the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause.

Rule

The court applied intermediate scrutiny to the statute, requiring the state to show that its classification is substantially related to an important governmental interest.

Equal-protection analysis often starts with attention to the appropriate level of scrutiny: strict, intermediate, or rational-basis.

Analysis

The court found that the statute discriminates based on sex and transgender status, triggering intermediate scrutiny. The plaintiffs demonstrated that the treatments in question are medically necessary and supported by established standards of care. The court concluded that the state's justification for the ban did not withstand scrutiny, as it failed to show a legitimate interest in prohibiting these treatments for transgender minors.

The record establishes that for some patients, including the three now at issue, a treatment regimen of mental-health therapy followed by GnRH agonists and eventually by cross-sex hormones is the best available treatment.

Conclusion

The court granted the preliminary injunction, allowing the plaintiffs' children to receive the necessary medical treatments while the case is resolved.

The court granted the preliminary injunction, allowing the plaintiffs' children to receive the necessary medical treatments while the case is resolved.

Who won?

The plaintiffs prevailed in the case because the court found that the Florida statute likely violated the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The plaintiffs prevailed in the case because the court found that the Florida statute likely violated the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment.

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