Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy, a prominent advocate for transgender medical treatments for minors, is now facing a lawsuit from Clementine Breen, a young woman who alleges she was rushed into irreversible gender transition procedures at the age of 12. Breen, now 19, claims the life-altering treatments have left her with deep physical and emotional scars, including a deep voice, an Adam’s apple, brittle bones, and irreparable damage to her reproductive and sexual health.
This is Susan Landon, the therapist getting sued by Clementine, along with Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy and the surgeon, Dr. Scott Mosser.
“You’re assigned a particular name for a particular body. The problem with that is that you then are expected to become what that body… pic.twitter.com/0zUuTAoK6M
— Billboard Chris 🇨🇦🇺🇸 (@BillboardChris) December 7, 2024
The Early Transition
Breen’s journey began at 12 when she was prescribed puberty blockers by Olson-Kennedy, a pediatrician and head of the gender clinic at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. These drugs halted her natural female puberty, followed by testosterone treatments at 13 that induced male puberty characteristics. At just 14, Breen underwent a double mastectomy. By 19, she ceased taking testosterone and began the process of detransitioning to live as a woman.
“The difficulty of genital surgery is that it’s surgical sterilization and people get super worked up about that. That is the barrier we have to overcome.” – Dr Johanna Olson-Kennedy
Pure evil. May one day she be prosecuted & rot in jail.
pic.twitter.com/UZZ1VSIk0O— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) December 7, 2024
Breen’s lawsuit alleges that Olson-Kennedy failed to uphold critical gatekeeping standards, bypassed psychological evaluations, and misrepresented Breen’s gender identity history to fast-track her transition. The lawsuit also claims Olson-Kennedy pressured Breen’s parents by suggesting their daughter was suicidal, a claim Breen denies.
Allegations of Negligence
Breen asserts Olson-Kennedy was negligent in explaining the lifelong consequences of her treatments, including bone brittleness and sterilization. The lawsuit highlights Olson-Kennedy’s public dismissal of psychological assessments, citing her 2017 comments against “gatekeeper” letters for trans youth as a barrier to care.
In court documents, Breen accuses the doctor of violating medical ethics by prescribing testosterone without thorough evaluation. Jesse Singal, who reported on the case for The Economist, noted Olson-Kennedy’s clinical notes described Breen as “alert” and “smiling” at the time of her treatment, contradicting claims of suicidal ideation.
A Growing Backlash
Breen’s case is not isolated. Similar lawsuits are emerging across the United States as detransitioners, individuals who regret transitioning, come forward with allegations of medical malpractice. Prisha Mosely, a North Carolina woman who detransitioned after undergoing a double mastectomy, has filed her own lawsuit, claiming her doctors failed to warn her of the irreversible consequences of her treatment.
Chloe Cole, another detransitioner, has become a vocal critic of gender transitions for minors. Like Breen, Cole underwent a double mastectomy as a teenager. She now tours the country, urging parents to question the safety and ethics of such procedures.
These cases spotlight the broader debate over gender-affirming care for minors, with critics emphasizing the irreversible nature of surgeries and hormone treatments. Proponents, including Olson-Kennedy, argue these interventions are life-saving, preventing suicidal ideation in transgender youth.
Medical Ethics Under Scrutiny
The controversy extends beyond individual cases. Olson-Kennedy previously declined to publish a study on the effects of puberty blockers, part of a $9.7 million federally funded project, after the results showed no significant mental health improvement. Critics argue this reflects an unwillingness to address potential harms of gender-affirming care.
In public statements, Olson-Kennedy has downplayed the risks of irreversible surgeries, such as double mastectomies for teenage girls, suggesting, “If you want breasts at a later stage in your life, you can go and get them.”
However, medical professionals, including Dr. Marci Bowers, a surgeon who treats transgender patients, have warned that children who undergo puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones before Tanner Stage 2 of puberty may face severe consequences, including an inability to experience sexual pleasure.
Legal and Societal Implications
Breen’s lawsuit adds fuel to an ongoing legal and ethical debate over the appropriateness of gender-affirming care for minors. More than 20 states have enacted bans on such procedures for children under 18, citing concerns over informed consent and long-term harm.
Advocates for these bans argue that children lack the maturity to make irreversible decisions about their bodies. Opponents, including Olson-Kennedy, counter that delaying treatment can exacerbate mental health issues and lead to higher rates of suicidal ideation.
As the case unfolds, it raises urgent questions about the role of medical professionals in safeguarding vulnerable youth. For Breen and others like her, the hope is not just for accountability but also for a reevaluation of practices that have left many struggling to reclaim their lives and identities.
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Ella Ford
It’s all about the money. It won’t stop until more suits like this one are successful with large enough monetary penalties and loss of license to scare the medical folks out of their greed for immediate profit.