Appeals court lets Florida continue lawsuit against pediatrics academy over claims it misled families on 'transgender' interventions
A federal appeals court allowed Florida to proceed with its lawsuit against the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups over claims they misled families about "gender-affirming" interventions for minors.
A federal appeals court on July 8 cleared the way for Florida to continue its lawsuit accusing the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other major medical groups of misleading families about the safety and effectiveness of “gender-affirming” treatments for minors.
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago put a lower court’s injunction on hold, allowing Florida Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier’s lawsuit to move forward while the appeal continues.
Uthmeier filed the suit in Florida state court in December 2025 against the AAP, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, and the Endocrine Society, accusing the groups of violating Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and racketeering law by making misleading claims about the safety and reversibility of “gender-affirming” treatments for children.
Florida also argues that the groups promoted life-altering medical interventions for children, such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries, despite serious risks and limited evidence of long-term benefits.
In response, the AAP sued Uthmeier’s office in March in Chicago federal court, arguing that Florida’s lawsuit was politically motivated and violated the group’s First Amendment rights. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, sided with the AAP in June and temporarily blocked Florida from pursuing the case.
Florida appealed the injunction to the 7th Circuit, and a three-judge panel initially refused to pause Kennelly’s injunction. But the latest decision puts that injunction on hold and allows Florida’s suit to continue.
Uthmeier praised the decision in a July 8 X post, saying the appeals court saw “right through the Chicago-based district court’s attempt to stop our lawsuit against AAP for their deception on the safety of mutilating procedures on kids and removed every barrier the court tried to put up.”
The case is part of a broader national fight over “transgender” medical interventions for minors. According to Reuters, Florida is one of more than 20 states that have banned puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for children.
