NYU Langone Hospitals has agreed to end transgender medical care for minors and pay an $8.5 million settlement to the U.S. Department of Justice, resolving an ongoing federal investigation. The agreement, announced on Friday, follows a DOJ probe initiated in 2025 into the provision of gender-affirming care for youths.
The hospital network, which serves patients throughout New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County, reached the settlement after being subpoenaed in May for medical records related to transgender minors receiving treatment. Under the terms of the agreement, NYU Langone will discontinue its transgender care program for minors but will not be required to turn over the requested medical records.
US Attorney General Todd Blanche characterized the settlement as part of a broader effort to protect children from what he described as "so-called ‘gender affirming care’ for minors.” Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate added that several prominent hospital systems, including NYU Langone, had agreed to cease providing such care and to resolve potential federal law violations through monetary settlements. Other institutions that have recently entered similar agreements include Mount Sinai Health System, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Texas Children’s Hospital, the Cleveland Clinic, and Connecticut Children’s Hospital.
NYU Langone issued a statement through spokesperson Steve Ritea emphasizing that the hospital has denied any wrongdoing or liability, and that the settlement was reached in the interest of patients, their families, and the institution to avoid protracted litigation.
The settlement has drawn criticism from local officials, including New York City Mayor Mamdani, who condemned both the DOJ’s investigation and NYU Langone's decision to settle. Mamdani described the move as an alarming capitulation to federal pressure that jeopardizes the well-being of transgender and gender nonconforming youth. He accused the settlement of politicizing private medical decisions, undermining professional healthcare judgment, and stigmatizing care described by advocates as lifesaving.
The issue remains highly contentious nationally, with ongoing debates surrounding the provision of gender-affirming medical treatments to minors and the role of federal and state authorities in regulating such care.