December 26, 2025 – Late in the afternoon on Christmas Eve, in a first-of-its-kind victory for transgender youth and their families, a federal court in Pittsburgh granted a motion to quash a sweeping subpoena issued by the Department of Justice seeking highly sensitive medical records from UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Represented by the Public Interest Law Center and the law firm Ballard Spahr, several young patients and their parents urged the court to block the subpoena, arguing that it was issued for an improper purpose, is overly broad, and poses serious harm to the patients involved. The Trump administration sought medical data and personal information related to mental and reproductive health care patients received through the Gender and Sexual Development Program at UPMC Children’s.
While several courts around the country have also halted similar subpoenas, including one in Philadelphia, today’s ruling is the first in a challenge brought by patients. Previous rulings have responded to motions to quash brought by healthcare providers. UPMC did not seek to stop the subpoena.
The court’s order to quash the subpoena prevents the Department of Justice from obtaining the young patients’ records. The court adopted the recent reasoning of a federal court’s decision quashing a similar subpoena to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, holding that November decision had “systematically dismantle[d] all of the government’s arguments that healthcare providers should be compelled to reveal minor patients’ personal information, including their names, addresses, social security numbers and complete medical and psychological records.”
In evaluating the subpoena, the court further held that “the government’s demand for deeply private and personal patient information carries more than a whiff of ill-intent.”
“Gender-affirming care is legal in this commonwealth and endorsed by every reputable medical association. The administration cannot use its power to threaten providers and intimidate families. This is a critical win for trans youth and for everyone’s right to medical privacy,” said Mimi McKenzie, legal director of the Public Interest Law Center. “This ruling protects not only our clients but all families who fear that their private lives could be made public by political actors.”
“We are grateful the court recognized the deeply personal nature of these medical records,” said Chesley Burruss of Ballard Spahr. “The court’s ruling reaffirms our clients’ right to seek necessary and legitimate medical care without political interference.”
There is another set of filings still to come in the case. Last week, the Department of Justice agreed to accept allegedly anonymized records, a move patients will strongly oppose on multiple grounds. The court noted its skepticism of the timing of such a concession, but allowed further briefing on the issue on January 16, 2026.
The ruling is available here: https://pubintlaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.12.24-Order.pdf
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About the Public Interest Law Center
The Public Interest Law Center uses high-impact legal strategies to advance the civil, social, and economic rights of communities facing discrimination, inequality, and poverty. We use litigation, community education, advocacy, and organizing to secure access to fundamental resources and services. www.pubintlaw.org
About Ballard Spahr
Ballard Spahr—an AmLaw 100 law firm with more than 750 lawyers in 18 U.S. offices–has a longstanding commitment to pro bono representation for individuals and organizations in need of legal services, in areas as diverse as civil rights advocacy, legal clinics for veterans in need of wills and other legal documents, and low-income individuals in a spectrum of civil and criminal matters. The firm lawyers and professionals provide more than 50,000 hours annually to ensure that clients have a voice and a legal advocate, regardless of their ability to pay. Visit https://www.ballardspahr.com/about/pro-bono.
