Cooks also gave the two parents joint decision making over all medical, dental, and psychiatric care for the twin boys, indicating that both the father and mother need to consent to the use of puberty blockers or other aspects of a “medical transition.”
Attorney fees are split.
Cooks also issued a gag order on the father.
A similar order was issued in another high-profile court case in Texas, which the Texas Solicitor General recently said is unconstitutional.
Before Cooks issued her verdict, she restricted anyone except members of the press who had a hard card press pass. An exception was made for a reporter of “Coffee & Politics” who is a friend of the judge and is reported to have shown the bailiff a text message from the Judge to allow her in.
The Texan was denied access, as seen on video, despite having a business card with a valid business email address and prior access all throughout the hearing.
Throughout last week, the parents argued before the court over whether their son is transgender and if they should take an approach of “affirmation” or “watchful waiting.”
A more detailed report from The Texan on their arguments can be found here.
On Monday, a jury — which took several hours to deliberate and had one dissenting vote — told the judge that the current joint managing conservatorship of the children should become a sole managing conservatorship and that the father should not be the sole managing conservator.
Since the jury made their decision, the case has gained statewide and national traction.
State Rep. Matt Krause (R-Fort Worth) said on Twitter, “Absent a special session between now and the 87th Session, I will introduce legislation that prohibits the use of puberty blockers in these situations for children under eighteen. We missed our opportunity to do so in the 86th Session. We won’t miss the next one.”
Reps. Jared Patterson (R-Frisco) and Cody Harris (R-Palestine) responded that they would work with Krause on drafting legislation.
Gov. Greg Abbott said that the case “is being looked into by the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.”
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX-21) also sent a letter about the issue to U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr, the director of the National Institutes of Health, and the director of the National Drug Control Policy.
In the letter, Roy urged the officials to conduct a “federal study on individuals who undergo sex-reassignment surgery or hormone treatment before the age of 18,” particularly as it might correlate with trends in suicide rates, substance abuse rates, and other potentially harmful consequences.
The larger implications of today’s decision on public policy and the debate over the transgender movement and its activist political efforts remain to be seen.
However, for seven-year-old James Younger, the ramifications are likely to be felt for a long time to come.
Kim Roberts contributed to this report.
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Daniel Friend
Daniel Friend is the Marketing and Media Manager for The Texan. After graduating with a double-major in Political Science and Humanities, he wrote for The Texan as a reporter through June 2022. In his spare time, you're likely to find him working on The Testimony of Calvin Lewis, an Abolition of Man-inspired novel and theatrical podcast.
