Clayton, Mo. – On Monday, Judge Ellen H. Ribaudo of the 21st Judicial Circuit granted a temporary restraining order against the implementation of the Missouri Attorney General’s restrictions on gender-affirming care for trans people of all ages.
The ACLU of Missouri, Lambda Legal, and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP filed a petition seeking a temporary restraining order against Attorney General Andrew Bailey shortly after he filed an emergency rule on April 13th that imposed restrictions on all trans people seeking gender-affirming care. The lawsuit, Southampton Community Healthcare v. Bailey, was filed on behalf of Southampton Community Healthcare, Kelly Storck, Logan Casey, and the families of two transgender adolescents.
“Plaintiffs have met their burden to show that they will be subjected to immediate and irreparable loss, damage or injury if the Attorney General is permitted to enforce the Emergency Rule, and its broad, sweeping provisions were implemented without further fact-finding or evidence,” Judge Ribuado stated in her order.
Monday’s order came after a hearing in St. Louis County Circuit Court, following a federal judge’s rejection of the Missouri Attorney General’s last-minute efforts to have the case transferred to federal court. Once the case was sent back to state court, a new hearing was scheduled within hours to address the plaintiffs’ request for a temporary restraining order. After that hearing concluded, the Court stayed the Attorney General’s Emergency Rule until this evening in order to consider the request for a temporary restraining order.
The court set a hearing for a preliminary injunction at 1 p.m. on May 11, 2023. The temporary restraining order will expire on May 15th.
Read Judge’s orders.
