BREAKING OVERNIGHT: After months of silence and mounting community pressure, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh has filed a formal response to the federal government’s subpoena demanding the medical records of hundreds of trans youth.
In an amicus brief filed late Tuesday, UPMC asked the court to delay any required production of patient records while a motion to quash the subpoena, filed by the Public Interest Law Center on behalf of affected families, is still pending. The hospital’s filing confirms that no records have yet been handed over and urges the court to extend protections to all trans patients, regardless of who filed the motion.
Crucially, UPMC’s brief does not oppose the subpoena itself, but instead takes a neutral stance, calling for “clarity” from the court on its obligations. The hospital also asked for any final ruling to apply broadly, not just to the families represented in the current lawsuit.
Behind the legal language is a subtle but meaningful shift. For months, UPMC had remained silent, even as peer institutions like the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia fought nearly identical subpoenas and won. Last week, a federal judge struck down the most invasive demands in CHOP’s case, ruling that the DOJ lacked authority to conduct such a sweeping search into protected patient information.
Now, UPMC seems to be signaling that it’s paying attention and is ready to act, at least in some capacity.
“Last night UPMC filed an amicus brief in support of the PILC lawsuit to quash the subpoena,” said an anonymous source familiar with the legal proceedings. “They aren’t taking a position on the subpoena, but they are anxious for a decision and indicate that they haven’t provided any medical records. This is all good news for patients.”
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Community groups who’ve been demanding transparency from UPMC cautiously welcomed the development.
The subpoena, issued by the U.S. Department of Justice in July, sought the names, diagnoses, consent forms, and personal data of hundreds of trans minors who received gender-affirming care at UPMC. Families and advocates say the demand represents a clear violation of medical privacy and a dangerous federal overreach.
Unlike UPMC, both Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Boston Children’s Hospital directly challenged their subpoenas in court and won early victories.
PILC’s motion to quash remains pending before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Until then, UPMC has asked the court to formally confirm that it does not have to release any patient information related to the subpoena while the case is still pending.
The hospital’s filing also references the recent CHOP ruling, where a judge struck identical record requests, reinforcing what advocates have argued all along: this is about protecting kids, not politics.
UPMC filing:
