
L.W. v. Skrmetti
What's at Stake
Samantha and Brian Williams of Nashville, TN and their 15-year-old transgender daughter are challenging a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming care for transgender people under 18. Tennessee is home to over 3,000 transgender adolescents and the health care banned by this law is supported by the entire mainstream of the medical community.
Summary
In April 2023, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Tennessee, Lambda Legal, and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP sued the State of Tennessee to block the state’s ban on medically necessary gender-affirming care for Tennessee’s transgender youth.
The legal advocates are suing Tennessee on behalf of Samantha and Brian Williams of Nashville and their 15-year-old transgender daughter, two other plaintiff families filing anonymously, and Memphis-based medical doctor Dr. Susan Lacy.
In addition to banning best practice medical care for trans youth up to age 18, Public Chapter No. 1 would require trans youth currently receiving gender-affirming care to end that care within nine months of the law’s effective date of July 1, 2023, or by March 31, 2024. The law also establishes a private right of action against medical providers providing medically necessary care to trans youth.
“It was incredibly painful watching my child struggle before we were able to get her the life-saving healthcare she needed. We have a confident, happy daughter now, who is free to be herself and she is thriving,” said plaintiff Samantha Williams. “I am so afraid of what this law will mean for her. We don’t want to leave Tennessee, but this legislation would force us to either routinely leave our state to get our daughter the medical care she desperately needs or to uproot our entire lives and leave Tennessee altogether. No family should have to make this kind of choice.”
“I don’t even want to think about having to go back to the dark place I was in before I was able to come out and access the care that my doctors have prescribed for me,” said Samantha and Brian Williams’ daughter. “I want this law to be struck down so that I can continue to receive the care I need, in conversation with my parents and my doctors, and have the freedom to live my life and do the things I enjoy.”
Legal Documents
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05/01/2023
Defendants' Motion to Reset Briefing Schedule -
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05/04/2023
Plaintiffs' Response in Opposition to Defendants' Motion to Reset Briefing Schedule -
05/05/2023
Defendants' Reply in Support of Motion to Reset Briefing Schedule -
05/08/2023
Order Denying Motion to Reset Briefing Schedule
L.W. v. SkrmettiLegal DocumentsPlaintiffs' Response in Opposition to Defendants' Motion to Reset Briefing ScheduleDownload DocumentDate Filed: 05/04/2023
Court: District Court (M.D. Tenn.)
L.W. v. SkrmettiLegal DocumentsDefendants' Reply in Support of Motion to Reset Briefing ScheduleDownload DocumentDate Filed: 05/05/2023
Court: District Court (M.D. Tenn.)
L.W. v. SkrmettiLegal DocumentsOrder Denying Motion to Reset Briefing ScheduleDownload DocumentDate Filed: 05/08/2023
Court: District Court (M.D. Tenn.)
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05/04/2023
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04/26/2023
Plaintiff-Intervenor's Motion for Preliminary Injunction -
04/26/2023
Plaintiff-Intervenor's Motion to Intervene -
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05/04/2023
Defendants' Response to Plaintiff-Intervenor's Motion to Intervene -
05/16/2023
Order Granting Plaintiff-Intervenor's Motion to Intervene
L.W. v. SkrmettiLegal DocumentsDefendants' Response to Plaintiff-Intervenor's Motion to InterveneDownload DocumentDate Filed: 05/04/2023
Court: District Court (M.D. Tenn.)
L.W. v. SkrmettiLegal DocumentsOrder Granting Plaintiff-Intervenor's Motion to InterveneDownload DocumentDate Filed: 05/16/2023
Court: District Court (M.D. Tenn.)
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05/04/2023
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04/26/2023
Plaintiff-Intervenor's Complaint in Intervention -
04/21/2023
Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction -
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05/19/2023
Defendants' Response in Opposition to Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction
L.W. v. SkrmettiLegal DocumentsDefendants' Response in Opposition to Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary InjunctionDownload DocumentDate Filed: 05/19/2023
Court: District Court (M.D. Tenn.)
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05/19/2023
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04/20/2023
Complaint
Date Filed: 05/01/2023
Court: District Court (M.D. Tenn.)
Date Filed: 04/26/2023
Court: District Court (M.D. Tenn.)
Date Filed: 04/26/2023
Court: District Court (M.D. Tenn.)
Date Filed: 04/26/2023
Court: District Court (M.D. Tenn.)
Date Filed: 04/21/2023
Court: District Court (M.D. Tenn.)
Date Filed: 04/20/2023
Court: District Court (M.D. Tenn.)
Press Releases
LGBTQ Advocates Sue Tennessee to Block Dangerous Transgender Healthcare Ban