September 18, 2026 — The Public Interest Law Center heavily criticized the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center today, accusing UPMC of “failing transgender children” in its newly announced agreement with the Trump administration.

In the resolution announced by the Department of Justice, UPMC agreed to prohibit the provision of gender-affirming care for children and pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalties related to its billing of medications for patients at its gender-affirming care clinic. UPMC closed the clinic in 2025 under pressure from the Trump administration.

The Law Center represented patients of the clinic after DOJ subpoenaed UPMC for patients’ personal and medical records. A federal court quashed the subpoena in response to the Law Center’s motion, and the administration dropped its appeal of that decision in August.

While the formal terms of the agreement have not been released to the public, no settlement is able to provide DOJ with the records that a court already ruled to be protected by the Constitution. Accordingly, the settlement likely formally concludes DOJ’s attempt to seek those records.

After UPMC’s agreement with the administration was announced, Mimi McKenzie, legal director of the Public Interest Law Center, said, “Gender-affirming care is legal in Pennsylvania, and gender-related discrimination is not. This type of care can be life-saving for trans youth. Our country’s shameful turn against vulnerable children will be made temporary. UPMC’s stain on its reputation, however, will last forever.”

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