WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice has formally dismissed its legal challenge to Tennessee’s law prohibiting certain medical procedures for minors related to gender transition, following a recent Supreme Court ruling upholding the law.
The lawsuit, initially filed during the Biden administration as part of a broader challenge led by individual plaintiffs and the American Civil Liberties Union, was dropped “with prejudice” — meaning it cannot be refiled. The DOJ cited the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision last month that found Tennessee’s law does not violate the Equal Protection Clause.
The Court held that the state had a rational basis to regulate treatments for minors given the uncertainty and ongoing medical debate surrounding such procedures.
Tennessee is one of 25 states with laws restricting or banning sex-change-related medical procedures for individuals under 18. The Tennessee law, passed in 2023, prohibits the use of puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgical interventions for minors seeking gender transition treatment.
“This Department of Justice will no longer be in the business of attacking laws like Tennessee’s that protect children,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon added, “The Justice Department will continue to fight to protect the health and welfare of our children and defend states that seek to ban these practices.”
