One of the largest medical providers in California, Kaiser, is now being sued for providing gender transitioning services to a teenage girl.
18-year-old Chloe Cole said Thursday that she is suing Kaiser Permanente for a transgender surgery performed on her when she was 13.
In a complaint filed with the San Joaquin Superior Court, her lawyers claim, a team of doctors at Kaiser performed what they described as a "mutilating sex change experiment," instead of focusing more on Cole’s mental health, which they said included gender dysphoria.
It's become a national debate with some arguing children are incapable of understanding the magnitude of a gender transition and should not be allowed to do so.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
Cole, who said her parents support her decision to sue the hospital, explained that she has since de-transition back to her gender at birth, a female.
“I missed having a more feminine body, I missed some of the little things about female socialization,” she said.
During Thursday’s press conference, Cole’s lawyer, Harmett K. Dhillon claimed Kaiser misled the family into agreeing to gender-transition therapies.
She claimed doctors told Cole’s parents at the time that she may commit suicide without gender-altering care. She also accuses the hospital of concealing less invasive treatments, such as weekly psychotherapy.
“Counseling would’ve cost an earned profit of a fraction of the cost of the treatment done for children like Chloe,” Dhillon said.
In an email to NBC Bay Area, responding to the lawsuit, Kaiser said their gender-affirming care meets all medical standards.
They added that the hospital uses a team of doctors and other medical professionals to provide information, counseling and other support to families and leaves any the final decision about gender care up to the patients and their parents.
The American Medical Association also has a clear stance on gender affirming care for children, urging governors to oppose any legislation interfering with a family’s decision and said it could have “tragic health consequences.”
At least one state, Alabama has passed a law barring gender affirming care before adulthood.
Dhillon said they are seeking damages for medical malpractice, but did not specify a financial amount.
