Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey Calls for Moratorium on Puberty Blockers for Children Pending Investigation of Whistleblower Accusations

Feb 10, 2023, 15:27 PM by AG Bailey

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – In an effort to protect children, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey directed a letter to Trish Lollo, President of St. Louis Children’s Hospital, and Dr. Andrew Martin, Chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis, urging the institutions to halt prescribing puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones to new patients at the Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital pending resolution of existing investigations. The Attorney General’s Office launched an investigation into the Center two weeks ago after receiving credible testimony and corresponding documentation from a whistleblower who used to be employed there. And yesterday, the university launched its own investigation.

“I want Missouri to be the safest state in the nation for children, which is why we are calling for an immediate moratorium on the Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital prescribing puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones to any new patients,” said Attorney General Andrew Bailey. “We are hopeful that the leaders of these institutions will choose to do the right thing for the safety of Missouri’s children, as we work to root out any possibility of children being harmed by predatory adults with a radical social agenda.”

The letter asserts that “I applaud your announcement yesterday to quickly launch an internal investigation. As the university’s statement acknowledges, the allegations against the Center are enough to leave anyone ‘alarmed’ and must be taken ‘very seriously.’  The whistleblower’s sworn affidavit says the Center has permanently sterilized hundreds of children, caused many children to attempt suicide, and performed irreversible gender-transition surgeries on minors—all while lying to the public and parents. Moreover, the affidavit says that the Center prescribes puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones automatically, without individualized assessment of each child, and often without parental consent.”

Further, the letter posits that “Given your agreement that these allegations are alarming and warrant thorough investigation, the Center should not continue prescribing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to new patients while these investigations progress.”

Attorney General Bailey concludes his letter with “As you know, I have been investigating this matter for a number of weeks.  As I continue to lead this multiagency investigation, I invite you to both share the findings of your internal investigation with my office, and to fully cooperate with my ongoing investigation. Please respond to my office by February 14 about whether you will impose this moratorium to ensure that no more children are harmed during the pendency of these investigations.”

The full letter can be read here: https://ago.mo.gov/docs/default-source/press-releases/2023-02-10-trish-lollo-and-dr-andrew-martin-letter.pdf?sfvrsn=bf665340_2

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