A 20-year-old UCLA student, Kaya Clementine Breen, has filed a lawsuit against two California doctors, alleging they rushed her into a gender transition starting at the age of 12. The suit claims Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy, who heads the nation's largest transgender youth clinic at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and other defendants, disregarded Breen's mental health struggles and history of sexual abuse, instead “fast-tracking” her onto a path of “irreversibly damaging” medical procedures. Breen underwent puberty blockers at 12, cross-sex hormones at 13, and a double mastectomy at 14.
The lawsuit alleges Olson-Kennedy diagnosed Breen with gender dysmorphia within minutes of their initial consultation and immediately recommended puberty blockers. It accuses the doctor of withholding crucial information about the risks and necessity of such treatments, even misleading Breen and her parents. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles responded to inquiries stating they provide “high quality, age-appropriate, medically necessary care” and do not comment on pending litigation or individual patient cases. Olson-Kennedy faced criticism earlier this year after admitting to The New York Times that her team had delayed publishing research on the mental health effects of puberty blockers to avoid the findings being misused by critics of transgender medical procedures.
Breen, who began therapy shortly before college, realized she might not be transgender but rather grappling with PTSD and other trauma-related issues. Although she has discontinued testosterone and reports improved mental health, the lawsuit contends her body has suffered “irreversible and profound damage,” including likely infertility. The suit also names Dr. Scott Mosser and the Gender Confirmation Center of San Francisco, where Breen underwent her double mastectomy after a brief virtual consultation and a short meeting with Mosser on the day of the surgery. The Gender Confirmation Center declined to comment on specific cases but emphasized their thorough procedures ensure patients understand the implications of gender-affirming surgeries. They also highlighted positive feedback received from former patients.
This lawsuit comes amidst a broader national debate on gender-affirming care for minors, with the Supreme Court recently hearing arguments on whether states can ban such treatments. California has increasingly become a haven for transgender individuals, enacting laws to protect those seeking these procedures within the state. Breen's lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages.
