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Charges dropped against doctor in trans care data leak case

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feeds.texastribune.org – By Ayden Runnels – 2025-01-24 19:13:00

Feds drop charges against Texas doctor accused of leaking transgender care data

Feds drop charges against Texas doctor accused of leaking transgender care data” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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Federal prosecutors dropped their charges against a Dallas surgeon accused of leaking the records of underage patients’ gender transition-related care in what some conservative activists are calling a win for anti-transgender activism.

The request for dismissal, submitted by Jennifer Lowery, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, did not specify why the four counts of wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information against Dr. Eithan Haim were dropped.

Haim, a self-described whistleblower, was charged after he provided conservative activist Christopher Rufo with the records of children receiving gender transition-related care at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, the largest pediatric hospital in the United States.

Rufo published the material in a May 2023 article, however the records have since been removed from the piece. While transgender care for minors was legal in 2022 when the records were sourced, the hospital publicly had said it would end providing the care after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the parents of children undergoing transition-related care be investigated for child abuse. The Texas Supreme Court later ruled Abbott had no grounds to order the Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate the families.

Haim never contested that he leaked the records, however he did maintain throughout the legal proceedings that no laws were broken because personally identifiable patient information was not disclosed.

The case quickly became a lightning rod for anti-transgender activists and politicians who describe Haim as a whistleblower for exposing an alleged “secret transgender program.” Transgender care in Texas, especially for minors, has long been under fire by Republicans in the state. Only weeks after Rufo published the records provided by Haim, Texas passed an outright ban on transition-related care for minors.

Transition-related care can include anything from mental health counseling and social affirmation of gender through pronoun changes or medical interventions like puberty blockers or surgery, however instances of physical treatment among youth are rare.

The dismissal follows an X post from Haim’s wife Andrea accusing Lowery of “weaponizing the DOJ” against her husband. The alleged weaponization of the justice system also has been a highlight of President Donald Trump’s campaign, who signed an executive order Monday claiming the Biden Administration had a systematic campaign of weaponized prosecution.

Texas House Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, was one of dozens of people congratulating Haim for the dropped charges, and said he spoke with Haim on the phone to congratulate him directly for the update.

“We still must get to the bottom of the potential crimes he exposed, for which he should’ve been praised… not prosecuted,” Harrison said in an X post Friday.

The case was set to begin a jury trial on Feb. 10, according to the court’s website.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/24/transgender-care-data-leak-texas-childrens-hospital/.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.

News from the South - Texas News Feed

Frustrated with poor play against UTEP, Arch Manning will 'get back to basics'

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www.kxan.com – Billy Gates – 2025-09-14 22:29:00

SUMMARY: Texas quarterback Arch Manning and coach Steve Sarkisian acknowledge the team’s underwhelming offensive performance in a 27-10 win over UTEP. Manning completed 11 of 25 passes for 114 yards with a touchdown and an interception, frustrating fans expecting a stronger showing at home. Despite a rough first half with 10 consecutive incompletions, Manning showed flashes of promise and scored twice on the ground. Sarkisian emphasized Manning’s mental struggle rather than physical injury and expressed confidence in his growth and consistency. Manning committed to improving fundamentals and handling in-game pressure ahead of tougher matchups, including their SEC opener against Florida on Oct. 4.

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Texas nursing students return from life-changing internship in Africa

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www.kxan.com – Esmeralda Zamora – 2025-09-14 13:12:00

SUMMARY: Two Texas nursing students, Tom Strandwitz and Valerie Moon, participated in Mercy Ships’ inaugural nursing internship aboard the Africa Mercy hospital ship in Madagascar. Selected from nationwide applicants, they gained hands-on experience in various departments, providing free surgeries and care in underserved regions. Their travel expenses were covered by over $11,000 raised through community GoFundMe campaigns. Both students were deeply impacted by patient interactions, such as cataract surgeries restoring sight and building trust with families. The internship broadened their perspectives on global health care. They plan to continue careers in intensive care and public health, with hopes to return to international nursing missions.

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Austin becoming FEMA-approved emergency alert authority, planning 1st test alert

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www.kxan.com – Abigail Jones – 2025-09-13 12:16:00

SUMMARY: On Monday, Sept. 29, Austin will conduct a test of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), becoming a FEMA-approved alerting authority able to send emergency alerts via Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to cell phones and Emergency Alert System (EAS) messages to TV and radio. This coordinated test at 3 p.m. will cover the city across its three counties—Travis, Hays, and Williamson. The alerts will clearly indicate a test and require no action. IPAWS allows authenticated, geotargeted emergency notifications without subscription, enhancing public safety communication. More details are available at ReadyCentralTexas.org and Ready.gov/alerts.

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