The American Accountability Foundation has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health, accusing them of withholding key data from a $9.7 million government-funded study on puberty blockers for gender-confused children. The suit follows admissions by lead researcher Johanna Olson-Kennedy that the findings challenge the effectiveness of the treatment. The group claims federal agencies are violating records laws by redacting and delaying the release of information.
On Wednesday, the American Accountability Foundation (AAF), a conservative watchdog group, filed a lawsuit in the District of Columbia against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The suit alleges that the agencies are withholding crucial data from a government-funded study examining the effects of puberty blockers on children with gender confusion, data expected to undermine support for such treatments.
The controversy stems from a New York Times article published on October 23, 2024, in which lead researcher Johanna Olson-Kennedy admitted she delayed publishing the study's results due to political concerns. She stated that the data did not demonstrate improved mental health outcomes for children on puberty blockers. Five days later, on October 28, 2024, AAF submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the data from the $9.7 million project.
In November 2024, NIH responded with records that AAF described as incomplete, lacking Olson-Kennedy's specific data and featuring extensive redactions without justification or explanation of the search process. AAF President Tom Jones appealed the redactions on January 6, 2025, but received no resolution. The suit claims HHS and NIH violated federal records laws.
Redacted materials include researchers' names, backgrounds, and government compensation, as well as demographic details and data points on the children involved, cited for 'proprietary info' or 'redacted by agreement.' AAF objected to the search adequacy, noting the FOIA coordinator's response ignored requests for Olson-Kennedy's data.
A preprint of the study, not yet peer-reviewed, claims 'youth demonstrated both stability and improvement in emotional and mental health over 24 months.' AAF demands full release for independent analysis. 'For over a year, HHS has been hiding a bombshell study that confirms what we’ve known all along: transgender therapy is a failure,' Jones told The Daily Wire. 'We’re fighting back, suing HHS to force them to follow the law and release this truth. The American people deserve to know what’s being hidden by the radical left!'