For Immediate Release:
September 15, 2026

For More Information Contact:
media@acpeds.org

ACPeds Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief Defending Parents Shut Out of Children’s Medical Decisions

Medical organization urges Supreme Court to hear challenge to Washington law that allows minors to be routed toward sex-rejecting interventions without parental knowledge

Atlanta, GA — Today, the American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) filed an amicus brief in International Partners for Ethical Care v. Ferguson, No. 25-840, supporting parents and urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a Ninth Circuit ruling that denied parents the right to be heard in their challenge to Washington law.

Under Washington law, a runaway child may be routed toward social, medical, and surgical sex-rejecting interventions while the State notifies a government agency rather than the child’s parents. The child’s provider is also instructed not to volunteer information to the parents about what is occurring.

As a result, parents can be shut out of decisions involving serious and irreversible medical interventions and denied the information they would need to respond on behalf of their child.

Dr. Jill Simons, Executive Director of ACPeds released the following statement:

“Parents cannot protect their children from serious medical harm if the State deliberately withholds information about their children’s health when it comes to sex-identity distress. These are major and often irreversible decisions that can affect children’s developing brain, bones, fertility, and healthy organs. Parents have a profound responsibility to protect their children, and the law should safeguard their right to serve as the primary decisionmakers for their children’s health.

When the consequences may be lifelong, parents should not have to wait until their child has already been harmed before they are allowed into court. The Supreme Court should allow these parents to be heard. ACPeds is urging the Court to reverse the Ninth Circuit’s ruling and permit the parents’ challenge to Washington’s law to proceed.”

ACPeds’ brief explains the medical consequences associated with sex-rejecting interventions. Puberty blockers arrest bone development, disrupt brain maturation, and can impair fertility. More than 90 percent of children who begin puberty blockers proceed to cross-sex hormones, according to the brief, and some may ultimately undergo surgeries that remove healthy organs.

Many of these effects cannot be undone. The case therefore presents more than an abstract disagreement over parental authority. ACPeds argues that Washington parents face a significant risk that their children could be exposed to serious and irreversible medical interventions without their knowledge or consent.

To schedule an interview with Dr. Simons, please contact media@acpeds.org.

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About the American College of Pediatricians

The American College of Pediatricians is a medical membership organization of pediatricians and healthcare professionals who care for children across 47 states and 5 countries. We promote the optimal health and well-being of all children through evidence-based medicine.

For more information, please visit our website at www.acpeds.org.