不良研究所导航网址

JEFFERSON CITY 鈥� A former case manager for the Washington University Transgender Center served as the state鈥檚 star witness Monday in defense of restrictions on gender-affirming medical practices.

Jamie Reed, the former employee who left in late 2022 after working there more than four years, went public with concerns in early 2023 about the clinic.

She said doctors were medically intervening without parental consent, that puberty blockers and hormones were prescribed without adequately addressing mental health issues, and that the clinic regularly referred patients younger than 18 for surgery.

Reed鈥檚 account 鈥� which she shared with the Missouri attorney general and in the news media 鈥� helped drive lawmakers to enact a law in 2023 restricting gender-affirming hormones, puberty blockers and surgeries for minors. Medicaid payments for adults for the treatments were also blocked.

Reed, on Monday, said an investigation by Washington University after her complaints confirmed the clinic wasn鈥檛 collecting custody documents or seeking written consent.

The university reported in April 2023 that a 鈥渕ore detailed and formalized approach鈥� was needed to document parental consent, including earlier evidence of custody agreements.

Washington University also acknowledged minors could be referred for surgery prior to 2019, before the school changed its policy. It said that six chest surgeries took place for adolescents transitioning to males.

Reed testified Monday that some of the center鈥檚 patients who had taken medications later decided to become 鈥渄etransitioners鈥� after determining they no longer thought they were transgender.

鈥淭hey told us, they emailed us and told us, I learned it from their parents,鈥� she said, adding informed consent handouts didn鈥檛 disclose this information.

Since the law took effect, Washington University said it would stop providing gender-affirming medications to minors who were technically eligible for the treatments under an exception in the law for minors already taking medications. The school cited 鈥渦nacceptable鈥� legal liability contained in the law.

During cross-examination, an attorney for the plaintiffs raised doubts about Reed鈥檚 expertise, confirming she didn鈥檛 go to medical school and had never made a mental health diagnosis, among other things.

Reed鈥檚 testimony Monday coincided with the release of an online column by her spouse, Tiger Reed, to taper off of testosterone and 鈥渂egin the process of becoming a woman again鈥� after living 13 years as a man.

Reed said last year that she was married to a transgender man.

During the first week of trial, witnesses for the plaintiffs defended the provision of gender-affirming medical care for minors.

Reed鈥檚 testimony Monday marked the start of the second week in the trial, which was scheduled to last through Friday.

Circuit Judge R. Craig Carter, who typically works in Douglas County, was assigned the case by the Missouri Supreme Court after plaintiffs requested another judge.

St. 不良研究所导航网址 Circuit Judge Steven Ohmer last August allowed the restrictions to take effect, saying plaintiffs didn鈥檛 demonstrate a probability of success at trial.

Plaintiffs challenging the restrictions include three transgender minors and parents and Southampton Community Healthcare in St. 不良研究所导航网址. Two LGBTQ+ rights groups, PFLAG and GLMA, also are listed as plaintiffs.