In a significant ruling protecting the privacy rights of patients and families, U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin yesterday granted a motion to quash a Department of Justice subpoena demanding the private and sensitive medical information of families whose children received transgender health care at Children’s National Hospital. The eight families are represented by Brown Goldstein & Levy partner Eve Hill and co-counsel from GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law).
In her opinion, Judge Rubin found that the DOJ subpoena “lacks a proper investigative purpose” and “appears to have no purpose other than to intimidate and harass” the Hospital and families seeking established, essential medical care for their children. The court determined the subpoena was “a pretext to fulfill the Executive’s well-publicized policy objective to terminate and block” transgender health care.
The ruling emphasizes that patients have a constitutionally protected right to privacy in their sensitive medical records, particularly when the government cannot demonstrate a legitimate investigative basis for demanding them.
“The Government has made improper use of a §3486 administrative subpoena to out [families] for receiving, and their Hospital for providing, healthcare,” Judge Rubin wrote, characterizing the action as “the classic impermissible fishing expedition.”
“Parents of transgender adolescents want what every parent wants: to ensure their children get the medical care they need to be healthy and thrive,” said Eve Hill. “This ruling affirms that the government cannot intrude into the exam room or second-guess the medical decisions families make with their doctors.”
“Today’s ruling is a crucial victory for families and for the fundamental right to medical privacy,” said Donovan Bendana, Liman Law Fellow at GLAD Law. “The court saw through the government’s attempt to use its investigative powers as a weapon against families who are simply trying to access healthcare for their children. These families should never have been forced to go to court to protect their children’s private medical information from government intrusion. This decision makes clear the federal government does not have the authority to intimidate patients and doctors or to insert itself into private medical decisions. We are grateful the court stood up for these families and for the principle that all Americans have a right to make healthcare decisions without fear of government harassment.”
“When families fear their private health information could be exposed or used against them, they may delay or avoid seeking necessary medical care – putting children’s health and wellbeing at risk. The court’s decision protects not only the families who brought the case, but reinforces fundamental principles of medical privacy and limitations on government power that benefit all Americans,” said Jennifer Levi, Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights at GLAD Law.
The subpoena, issued in June 2025, demanded highly sensitive information including patient names, dates of birth, social security numbers, diagnoses, clinical assessments, and parental authorization forms. The court found this sweeping demand bore “no credible connection to an investigation of any statutory violation” and was “utterly unclear” in its purported purpose.
ABOUT EVE HILL
Eve Hill is one of the nation’s leading civil rights lawyers, known especially for her work with clients with disabilities and LGBTQ+ clients. She has been recognized by Law360 as one of just 12 “Titans of the Plaintiffs’ Bar” for 2023, as well as by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America (2022-2025). Her wide-ranging experience complements Brown Goldstein & Levy’s decades of dedication to high-impact disability rights cases and its advocacy on behalf of individuals with disabilities and their families. Eve chairs the Board of Trustees for the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, a national legal advocacy organization advancing and protecting the civil rights of adults and children with mental illness. Eve also leads Inclusivity, BGL’s Strategic Consulting Group, which works with organizations to promote the education, engagement, and employment of people with disabilities. Learn more about Eve here.
ABOUT BROWN GOLDSTEIN & LEVY
Founded in 1982, Brown Goldstein & Levy is a law firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, with an office in Washington, D.C. The firm is nationally recognized in a wide variety of practice areas, including complex civil and commercial litigation, civil rights, health care, family law, and criminal defense. Above all else, Brown Goldstein & Levy is a client-centered law firm that brings decades of experience and passionate, effective advocacy to your fight for justice.