Names of patients in the gender -known care class, which was raised in public records, request

The names of patients in the center of state lawsuits against doctors who were accused of violating the ban on the gender care of Texas due to minors were wrongly published by an application for public records to the district district of Collin County.

A case on February 20 by lawyers from the Children's Health Hospital, which kera news made available, included the non -edit names and birth dates of the 15 patients – some of them – in the lawsuit of the Attorney General Ken Paxton against pediatrician Dr. M. Brett Cooper were involved. Kera News will not publish the names of the patients.

“Regrettably, confidential information was accidentally announced on behalf of our client during the submission of a protective request in an untried bond,” read an explanation of lawyers that represent the health of children. “After the identification of this problem, immediate steps were taken to secure all confidential information and remove the public recording.”

The district writer of Collin County, Mike Gould, said that the submission parties are responsible for the editorial team of sensitive information.

Paxton claimed that Cooper and Dr. May Lau and Dr. Hector Granados would have violated the Senate Act 14 against minors against hormone therapy after the law came into force on September 1, 2023. The unnamed patients in all three cases are not defendants.

Public prosecutors in January of the Children's Health System of Texas and the UT Southwestern Medical Center for therapies, medical and billing documents as well as communication with Cooper and Lau. Both doctors are UT Southwestern employees with medical privileges in the health of children.

The law firm Winston & Strawn represents 22 unnamed patients of Cooper and Lau in their efforts to protect their medical information from the state.

William Logan, one of the patients' lawyers, said the office error who led to the names of the patients are shared by Cooper, underlines the data protection concerns of his clients.

“Imagine the state wants to have its complete, non -edited psychiatric records,” he said in a telephone interview. “An error can happen just as easily, and the complete psychiatric records of a patient could be available for public views. We think this is inappropriate, and that's why we fight so hard to ensure that the state follows the law. “

Logan added that the health of children in the entire case was “ally of patients”.

Kera News also turned to lawyers who represent the state, the UT Southwestern Medical Center, Cooper and Lau.

The cases of Lau and Cooper are pending at the 493th district court in Collin County, where lawyers from both doctors have asked judges Christine Nowak separately to either transfer cases to Dallas or Travis County, where patients were treated. Nowak refused to relieve every doctor to released Friday.

Cooper's lawyers also asked the court for a gag decision in the case after Paxton had made numerous statements. According to the Dallas Morning News.

For Thursday, a hearing in the case of Dallas County is planned for a protective arrangement from the preloads of the state of patient files.

This story is updated.

Do you have a tip? E -Mail Kailey Broussard at kbroussard@kera.org.

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