Letitia James Orders NYU Langone Hospital to Restart Sexual Mutilation of Children

New York Attorney General Letitia James has reprimanded one of Manhattan’s largest hospitals for suspending gender-affirming care for transgender youth and has ordered it to resume the medical service by March 11.

In a letter addressed to NYU Langone on February 25, James’ office said the hospital was violating the state’s anti-discriminatory laws by refusing healthcare to transgender individuals.

NYU Langone is one of several hospitals in the country that have stopped offering gender-transition treatment to transgender youth below the age of 19 over fears of potential action by the Trump administration.

Soon after his second inauguration, President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at barring gender-transition procedures for minors. Citing the order, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a proposal to slash Medicaid and Medicare funding for hospitals that continue to provide gender-affirming care.

In February 2026, NYU Langone announced that it was suspending its Transgender Youth Health Program due to the current regulatory environment. The hospital said, “Given the recent departure of our medical director, coupled with the current regulatory environment, we made the difficult decision to discontinue our Transgender Youth Health Program. We are committed to helping patients in our care manage this change.”

However, James’ office argued that HHS’s proposal has not been enacted as federal law, and hence the hospital must fulfill its existing duties and obligations under New York law. The letter, signed by Health Care Bureau Chief Darsana Srinivasan, read, “The sudden discontinuation of medically necessary transgender healthcare can have severe, negative health outcomes.”

“Accordingly, the Attorney General is extremely concerned by your institution’s decision to cease the provision of care to this vulnerable, minority population,” Srinivasan said.

Srinivasan asked NYU Langone to resume medical services like puberty blockers and hormone therapies. Srinivasan threatened action against the hospital system if it did not reinstate the medical service by March 11. However, she did not describe the nature of the actions that would be taken.

The Trump administration has undertaken several measures in the past year that have been criticized by trans rights activists. The government has attempted to phase out coverage for gender-affirming care in military health insurance. The administration has also excluded coverage for gender-affirming surgeries from the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program.

After Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the proposal to cut Medicare and Medicaid funding for hospitals providing gender-transition treatments, the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly called out the move.

The association said in an official statement, “Unprecedented actions and harmful rhetoric taking place today by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services leaders mark a concerning departure from the longstanding principle that health care policy should be grounded in scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and the needs of children and families.”

NYU Langone has not yet publicly responded to the New York attorney general’s letter, and it remains unclear whether the hospital plans to comply and reinstate the Transgender Youth Health Program by March 11.