JEFFERSON CITY 鈥 Planned Parenthood is seeking a second opinion after the 最新杏吧原创 Circuit Court last week ordered the organization to turn over certain transgender care records to the Missouri attorney general鈥檚 office.
Planned Parenthood of the 最新杏吧原创 Region and Southwest Missouri on Friday filed a notice of appeal in the case.
Last week, Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer ruled Attorney General Andrew Bailey was entitled to records not protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the federal law known as HIPAA that protects patient privacy.
Richard Muniz, interim president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood of the 最新杏吧原创 Region and Southwest Missouri, accused Bailey, a Republican of weaponizing the attorney general鈥檚 office for a political campaign targeting the state鈥檚 most vulnerable 鈥渞ather than work to promote the health and rights of transgender and gender-expansive Missourians.鈥
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鈥淲e鈥檙e asking the court of appeals to put a halt to Bailey鈥檚 pretextual and lawless investigation, because Missourians should not have to live in fear of having their essential and lifesaving care dismantled 鈥 or their private health information scrutinized by politicians,鈥 he said in a statement.
鈥淧lanned Parenthood remains committed to ensuring the rights to privacy and health care are protected,鈥 Muniz said. 鈥淲hen we said we won鈥檛 back down from this sham investigation, we meant it.鈥
In response, Bailey said in a statement Friday, 鈥淚t鈥檚 extremely questionable that Planned Parenthood is actively stonewalling our investigations. If we have to continue to go to court to protect children to uncover what went on here, that鈥檚 exactly what we鈥檒l do.鈥
Planned Parenthood initially sued over the civil investigative demand in March 2023.
The attorney general said at the time the demand came after finding out that the clinic deviated from standard care practices by providing 鈥渓ife-altering gender transition drugs to children without any therapy assessment,鈥 spokeswoman Madeline Sieren said then, the Associated Press reported.
The court last Thursday said Bailey鈥檚 civil investigative demand arose out of the attorney general鈥檚 investigation of the Washington University Pediatric Transgender Center and contained 54 separate requests and 15 subparts.
Stelzer said the attorney general鈥檚 office had broad powers to investigate consumer protection cases.
鈥淭he Defendant is investigating possible dishonesty by Plaintiff in their medical and billing practices,鈥 Stelzer said.
Among records demanded by the state, the attorney general鈥檚 office wants all documents containing 鈥渙perating policies and standards of care for clients,鈥 and demands Planned Parenthood describe in detail 鈥渨hat you understand to be the standard of care for Clients identifying as transgender.鈥
Bailey launched an investigation of the Washington University Transgender Center at 最新杏吧原创 Children鈥檚 Hospital last year after a former case manager there, Jamie Reed, contacted the state alleging children received puberty blockers and hormone therapies without proper screening or parental consent.
A lawsuit Washington University filed in December said the attorney general鈥檚 office issued civil investigative demands to the university as well as to two staff members.
Washington University is seeking to modify state demands in 最新杏吧原创 Circuit Court. That case was still pending Friday.
