A federal judge has ruled that St. Joseph Medical Center, a Catholic-founded hospital in Maryland, discriminated against a transgender patient by canceling a scheduled hysterectomy.
The patient, 33-year-old Jesse Hammons, identifies as a transgender man.
The hospital cited its adherence to Catholic ethics as the reason for canceling the procedure.
According to Hammons, the scheduled hysterectomy was an important step in his gender transition process, but the hospital denied the request on the grounds that removing an otherwise healthy organ would violate Catholic ethics.
U.S. District Court Judge Deborah K. Chasanow, in her ruling, also explicitly criticized Catholic ethics as discriminatory. The judge stated that St. Joseph Medical Center and the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) had violated the Affordable Care Act’s ban on discrimination on the basis of sex.
“The undisputed facts establish that the decision to cancel Mr. Hammons’ hysterectomy pursuant to a policy that prohibits gender-affirming care was discrimination on the basis of his sex,” Chasanow wrote.
UMMS stated that the procedure was canceled due to a scheduling error, and offered to perform it at a different hospital, however, Hammons and his legal representation including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) argued that it was a discriminatory action as it denied him the necessary health care.
UMMS and St. Joseph Medical Center said in a statement that they are “carefully reviewing the decision.”
They disputed many of the conclusions that were reached in this decision and said they may be in a position to comment further after additional analysis of the ruling. The hospital added that legal disagreements aside, it wishes the best for Hammons and supports his efforts to seek health care.
The president of the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC) Joseph Meaney warned that this ruling is part of an ongoing legal fight that could threaten the existence of Catholic hospitals.
He stated that catholic hospitals may face legal attacks and that they may be forced to defend themselves in court, which could lead to the closure of catholic hospital. He highlighted the importance of Catholic health care to be able to practice in a way that is both ethical and moral from the Church’s perspective.
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