A married couple in Philadelphia is suing several medical providers for malpractice, alleging that the providers coerced the husband into taking hormones and undergoing “gender transition” surgery.
According to a press release from Keller Postman, the law firm representing the couple, Andrew Razny sought counseling in 2017 and was told he had gender dysphoria after a 20-minute consultation. He claims he was then placed on hormone treatment “without adequate medical or psychiatric assessment,” Keller Postman stated.
In the following years, health care providers allegedly encouraged Razny to undergo surgeries but told him that the procedures would be safe and reversible. Razny says a physician pressured him into “gender transition” surgery and operated on him despite his objections and request to speak to his wife, Amanda.
The Raznys are now suing three health care centers or hospitals and Dr. Kathy Rumer, the physician whom they say coerced the husband into the surgery. According to the release, the medical providers’ actions caused “severe physical, emotional, and relational harm, including permanent bodily changes, loss of employment, psychological trauma, and a devastating impact on their family’s life.”
The Raznys filed their lawsuit Sept. 3 in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. They are seeking compensatory and punitive damages and accountability measures to ensure that other families do not experience similar coercion.
Marquel Longtin, partner and chief client officer at Keller Postman and Postman Law, stated in the release that the case “exposes how trusted medical institutions can morph into overzealous transition mills that fail patients at their most vulnerable moments.” Longtin is on the legal team representing the Raznys.
“Andrew and Amanda’s story illustrates the devastating impact when individuals are rushed into radical, irreversible procedures without adequate information, exploration of underlying issues, or consideration of less invasive forms of care,” she added. “No one should ever be coerced into surgery — especially after explicitly saying no.”
J.J. Snidow, partner at Keller Postman and another member of the Raznys’ legal team, called the medical providers’ actions a “textbook violation of medical ethics.”
“Consent is not just a formality. It is the cornerstone of patient care,” he said. “Here, providers ignored red flags, silenced the patient’s doubts, and pressed forward with life-altering surgery against his wishes. That is unacceptable by any standard.”