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In February 2022, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a directive stating that health care that is medically necessary for treating gender dysphoria should be considered a form of child abuse. The Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) followed Abbott鈥檚 directive and issued a new rule to investigate medically necessary health care for transgender youth across Texas.

A week later, the Doe family and Dr. Mooney filed Doe v. Abbott against Governor Abbott, DFPS Commissioner Jaime Masters, and DFPS. The lawsuit claims that these directive and rule were issued without proper authority, in violation of the Texas Administrative Procedure Act, the separation-of-powers requirements of the Texas Constitution, and the constitutional rights of transgender youth and their parents.

PFLAG joined this case to seek relief for its 17 chapters and 600 members across the state. PFLAG provides confidential peer support, education, and advocacy to LGBTQIA+ people, their parents and families, and allies. With a nationwide network of hundreds of chapters, PFLAG National works with families, schools, and communities to build safety and support for transgender youth.

Also party to the suit are three Texas families with transgender teens: Mirabel Voe and her 16-year-old transgender son, Wanda Roe and her 16-year-old transgender son, and Amber and Adam Briggle and their 14-year-old transgender son. Each of these families has been unlawfully investigated by DFPS based solely on the allegation that their children were receiving care for the treatment of gender dysphoria.

The lawsuit was filed by the ACLU, the ACLU of Texas, Lambda Legal, and the law firm of Baker Botts LLP. It was filed after the Supreme Court of Texas in Doe v. Abbott ruled in May 2022 that the directive could not be enforced against the plaintiffs in that case.

On July 8, 2022, the Travis County District Court granted a temporary injunction blocking DFPS and the Commissioner from continuing to investigate the Voe and Roe families. And on September 16, 2022, the same court granted a temporary injunction on behalf of PFLAG and the Briggles blocking DFPS and the Commissioner from 鈥渋nvestigating members of PFLAG, including but not limited to Plaintiff Families, for possible child abuse or neglect solely based on allegations that they have a minor child who is gender transitioning or alleged to be receiving or being prescribed medical treatment for gender dysphoria.鈥� In 2024, the Third Court of Appeals affirmed the injunction.

UPDATE: In April 2026, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that this case and the Doe case 鈥減resented no controversy鈥� because DFPS represented all the investigations have been administratively closed and that no further investigations would be necessary given that gender affirming medical care for minors is no longer lawful in Texas. The cases have been sent back to the Travis County District Court.

The temporary injunctions issued in this case and the Doe case prevented DFPS from pursuing wrongful child abuse investigations into Texas families for over four years.

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