NYU Langone Receives Federal Grand Jury Subpoena on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors

NYU Langone Health has received a federal grand jury subpoena demanding records related to gender-affirming care provided to patients under 18 between 2020 and 2026. The subpoena, sent last week by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Texas, seeks information on the minors who received treatment, the clinicians involved, and anyone else connected to their care.

It is one of several similar subpoenas issued to institutions offering pediatric gender care. The disclosure marks an escalation from administrative subpoenas sent last year to roughly 20 hospitals. Those earlier requests did not require judicial approval.

A policy analyst at KFF said the use of a grand jury subpoena likely indicates a criminal investigation that could carry more significant penalties. NYU Langone ended its Transgender Youth Health Program in February. The hospital cited the departure of its medical director and the current regulatory environment.

It had previously offered puberty suppression, hormone therapy, and related support to adolescents.

The latest subpoena arrives as the Trump administration has raised questions about potential fraud in the off-label use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors. Officials have argued that clinician discussions or materials provided to patients could constitute fraud even though off-label prescribing itself remains legal.

The Department of Justice declined to comment on the NYU Langone subpoena. Several other hospitals received similar grand jury subpoenas last week but have not publicly announced them. NYU Langone is the first to disclose receipt of such a request. The hospital said it is considering its next steps, including obligations under New York’s shield law that generally requires notifying patients at least 30 days before releasing records in response to out-of-state or federal demands.

State officials urged the hospital to protect patient and provider privacy. Activists called on NYU Langone to resist the subpoena, arguing it threatens to criminalize both trans youth and their providers. One advocacy group described the effort as an attempt by anti-trans extremists to seize patient data.

The Northern District of Texas has become a frequent venue for challenges involving gender-related policies. In late April the Department of Justice filed a motion in that district to enforce an administrative subpoena against a hospital in another state.

A judge approved the request within hours, though the hospital appealed and questioned the jurisdiction. Advocates have described the choice of Texas as judge shopping. Hospitals and providers have prevailed in several court challenges over the past year.

In one prominent ruling this spring a federal judge in Seattle vacated a declaration by the health secretary that pediatric gender-affirming care does not meet medical standards. That decision also applied to any materially similar policies. A Harvard Law School health policy director said recent statements from Department of Justice attorneys suggest the administration intends to continue its investigations regardless of adverse court rulings on broader guidance.

In an April hearing a DOJ attorney told a Boston federal court that vacating an executive order and related directives would not affect ongoing investigations.

Dozens of hospitals nationwide have paused or ended transgender services for minors in the past year, citing legal and financial pressures from the federal government. NYU Langone’s decision in February to close its program left some adolescent patients seeking care elsewhere as local options shrank.

The hospital has committed to helping current patients manage the transition. Advocates argue that the mere announcement of a criminal investigation creates intimidation even if charges never materialize. One legal expert said the accumulating pressure generates enormous stress on providers.

The Department of Justice continues to pursue enforcement of its subpoenas in ongoing litigation. " — Lindsey Dawson, director of LGBTQ health policy at KFF (STAT) The full scope of the federal investigation remains unclear. It is unknown whether the subpoena targets specific clinicians, the hospital itself, or seeks evidence of broader patterns.

Resolution of the NYU Langone matter could take months as the hospital weighs its legal obligations under state shield laws against federal demands.