PFLAG wins restraining order in lawsuit against Paxton
Travis County District Court Judge Maria Cantú today (Friday, March 1) issued a temporary restraining order blocking Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s efforts to force PFLAG National to turn over information and documents the organization has related to its support of families in Texas seeking gender-affirming medical care for their transgender children.
The order came in a lawsuit PFLAG filed Wednesday, Feb. 28, after Paxton demanded the information and documents.
Today’s TRO prohibits Paxton from trying to enforce his demand as the lawsuit moves through the courts. Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, the ACLU, and Transgender Law Center, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of PFLAG National, issued the following joint statement after the judge granted their request for the TRO: “We’re grateful that the court saw the harm the Attorney General’s Office’s intrusive demands posed for PFLAG National and its Texas members and is protecting them from having to respond while we continue to litigate the legality of the office’s requests.
We now will return to court to seek an extended and ultimately permanent block so that PFLAG can continue supporting its Texas members with transgender youth in doing what all loving parents do: supporting and caring for their children.” In the restraining order, Judge Cantú wrote: “It clearly appears to the court that unless the defendants are immediately restrained from abusing the Deceptive Trade Practices Act by enforcing or otherwise requiring PFLAG to respond to the Civil Investigative Demand and Notice of Demand for Sworn Written Statement, immediate and irreparable injury, loss or damage will result to PFLAG and its members from the defendants’ wrongful actions.
