In a sweeping enforcement action, the FBI has launched criminal investigations into three leading children’s hospitals over alleged illegal gender surgeries on minors, with potential felony charges carrying up to 10 years imprisonment per count.
Key Takeaways
- The FBI is investigating Boston Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Colorado, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles for potential violations of federal statutes against female genital mutilation related to gender procedures on minors.
- Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed all U.S. Attorneys to investigate suspected cases of female genital mutilation “under the banner of so-called ‘gender-affirming care’ or otherwise” and prosecute offenders “to the fullest extent possible.”
- The Justice Department is forming a Coalition Against Child Mutilation to coordinate with state attorneys general on enforcement actions against medical providers.
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles plans to close its Center for Transyouth Health and Development by July 2025 amid mounting legal and financial pressures.
- Legislation is being drafted to allow affected children and parents to hold medical professionals financially accountable for damages from gender-related procedures.
FBI Targets Three Major Children’s Hospitals
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched criminal probes into three prominent pediatric medical centers: Boston Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Colorado, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The investigations specifically target these institutions’ practices regarding gender-related medical procedures performed on minors. These facilities are part of what the medical advocacy group Do No Harm has labeled the “Dirty Dozen” – a list of hospitals that allegedly promote and perform sex-change procedures on children. The organization has created a “Stop the Harm Database” to document and highlight hospitals involved in such controversial medical practices.
Justice Department Takes Firm Stance
The investigations follow Attorney General Pam Bondi’s memorandum directing the Justice Department to enforce 18 U.S.C. § 116, which criminalizes female genital mutilation. This directive aligns with President Trump’s executive order aimed at preventing irreversible medical interventions for minors experiencing gender dysphoria. In addition to these enforcement actions, the Justice Department is establishing a Coalition Against Child Mutilation that will work in collaboration with state attorneys general to address these issues systematically across the country. The administration is also preparing legislation that would enable affected children and parents to hold medical professionals accountable for damages resulting from such procedures.
“I am putting medical practitioners, hospitals and clinics on notice: In the United States, it is a felony to perform, attempt to perform or conspire to perform female genital mutilation (\”FGM\”) on any person under the age of 18,” said Pam Bondi, Attorney General.
“That crime carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years per count. I am directing all U.S. Attorneys to investigate all suspected cases of FGM — under the banner of so-called ‘gender-affirming care’ or otherwise — and to prosecute all FGM offenses to the fullest extent possible,” said Pam Bondi, Attorney General.
Hospitals Respond Differently to Mounting Pressure
The three hospitals under investigation have taken varied approaches in response to increased scrutiny. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has announced plans to close its Center for Transyouth Health and Development by July 2025, citing legal and financial risks associated with continuing these services. Children’s Hospital Colorado initially suspended transgender treatments for minors following Trump’s executive order but later resumed them after a judge temporarily blocked the order. Meanwhile, Boston Children’s Hospital continues to offer transgender hormone therapy and puberty blockers to minors, though it claims to perform gender-related surgeries only on patients over 18 years of age.
Serious Allegations Against the Hospitals
The allegations against these hospitals are particularly troubling. Boston Children’s Hospital has been accused of providing sex-change treatments to children as young as 3 years old and performing surgeries without proper parental consent. Children’s Hospital Colorado allegedly offered puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to minors despite announcing a halt to sex-change surgeries in 2023. The hospital reportedly continued providing potentially sterilizing chemicals to children while publicly claiming to have stopped such treatments. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, with its large patient base including many minors, faces similar scrutiny for its gender-related medical practices targeting children.
Medical Experts Support Investigations
Dr. Stanley Goldfarb from Do No Harm has expressed strong support for these investigations, advocating for evidence-based care rather than what he describes as experimental practices that may cause permanent harm to children. The hospitals themselves have largely remained silent on the investigations, with Boston Children’s Hospital stating it has not received any official notice from the FBI regarding the probe. The FBI has also declined to comment on the specifics of these investigations, maintaining its standard practice of neither confirming nor denying the existence of ongoing investigations until charges are formally filed.
