Monday marked the start of week two of Noe v. Parson, a trial to repeal Senate Bill 49, which bans gender-affirming surgeries and cross-sex hormones or puberty-blocking drugs for minors.
Jamie Reed testified Monday at the Cole County Circuit Court as the first witness called in by the state to testify in the case. Reed is known nationally as a whistleblower for accusing a St. Louis children's gender clinic of misconduct against its patients and their parents, and she restated these claims in court Monday.
Reed wrote a letter to Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey in January 2023 expressing concern over "questionable medical practices and treatment of minors" by the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children's Hospital, which provided gender-affirming care before closing due to SB 49.
An internal investigation conducted by Washington University found these claims were unsubstantiated. Many parents have also disputed Reed's claims, an investigation by the Missouri Independent reported in 2023.
Reed worked at the center as a case manager from 2018-2022.
Reed wrote a sworn affidavit in February 2023 where she claimed the center deliberately misled the patients it treated, their parents and the public.
"I witnessed staff at the Center provide puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to children without complete informed parental consent and without an appropriate or accurate assessment of the needs of the child," Reed said in the affidavit.
Parents of former patients at the center told The Independent they disagreed with the claim that the center quickly gave children hormones, saying it took months of appointments before their children received puberty blockers or hormone treatments.
One percent of transgender people regret gender-affirming treatment, the Associated Press and other medical sources have reported. The AP reported that psychological counseling before starting treatment, along with family support, can reduce the chance of regret.
Reed, who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community, is married to a transgender man who announced he will detransition after living over a decade as a man.
Testimony will resume Tuesday, and the trial is expected to conclude this week or next week.
