NYU Langone's Shocking Reversal: $8.5M Fine Seals End to Youth Gender Care Under Trump Pressure

NYU Langone Health has agreed to a significant settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, entailing an $8.5 million fine and a formal cessation of gender-affirming care services for minors. This announcement, made by the Justice Department on Friday, highlights the ongoing pressure from the Trump administration which has been employing threats of legal action and substantial fines to dissuade doctors and hospitals from providing such services to patients and their families.

This development follows a similar agreement made two weeks prior, where the Mount Sinai health system also consented to discontinue gender-affirming care for children and adolescents. Gender-affirming care can encompass a range of services including hormone treatments, puberty blockers, and, though rare for minors, genital and chest/breast surgery. NYU Langone had previously stated in February that it was halting these services for minors due to the "current regulatory environment," and this new agreement solidifies that decision with legal weight and a financial penalty.

The decision has drawn sharp criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates. Juli Grey-Owens, executive director of Gender Equality New York and a transgender woman, condemned NYU Langone's "surrender" to the Justice Department and criticized the Trump administration for "attacking our small, marginalized community." She emphasized that the federal government's actions are "not based on scientific evidence" and that the care previously offered by NYU Langone was "important care and necessary care."

NYU Langone, in its official statement, denied any wrongdoing. However, it agreed to the settlement to safeguard its providers and the privacy of its patients and families. The institution clarified that the DOJ agreed to resolve its investigations, thereby removing the threat of NYU Langone having to disclose confidential information previously demanded regarding patients under 18 who had received gender-affirming care. Mount Sinai had offered a comparable rationale when defending its own settlement with the Justice Department.

The Justice Department's campaign extends beyond these two institutions, with at least five other health systems and hospitals reportedly having signed agreements to cease gender-affirming care for minors. Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for LGBTQ Rights and a leading transgender attorney, characterized the Justice Department’s campaign as "intimidation," rather than legitimate "law enforcement." Minter asserted that "The administration is threatening hospitals until they drop lawful care it opposes politically," and that "Families should not lose their doctors because the federal government bullied a hospital into submission, and that is exactly what is happening."

President Donald Trump had signed an executive order in January 2025 that controversially labeled gender-affirming care as "chemical and surgical mutilation." In contrast, advocates like Grey-Owens maintain that such care can be lifesaving, pointing to studies that show exceptionally high rates of suicide attempts and suicidal ideation among transgender youth. She explained that care such as hormone treatments is typically part of a multi-year, carefully considered process designed to assist young individuals experiencing severe mental health challenges when their gender identity conflicts with their biological sex.

The medical community in the U.S. holds divided views. The American Academy of Pediatrics, alongside several other major U.S. doctors’ groups, publicly supports gender-affirming care for minors, advocating that decisions should be made by doctors and families, not the government. Conversely, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons issued a statement in February, advising that there is insufficient evidence to conclude that gender-related breast/chest, genital, and facial surgeries offer more benefits than risks for minors, recommending that such operations be postponed until at least age 19. Internationally, policies concerning minors’ access to gender-affirming care demonstrate considerable variation, with some European countries that once broadly permitted surgery or treatments like puberty blockers for minors now implementing restrictions.