Federal prosecutors have dropped the case against a Texas doctor who was accused of illegally obtaining private information on patients not under his care. Dr. Eithan Haim, a 34-year-old surgeon, had identified himself as a whistleblower on transgender care for minors. The case was dismissed in U.S. district court in Houston amidst the backdrop of the Trump administration rolling back transgender rights through executive orders.
Prosecutors alleged that Haim shared patient information with a conservative activist with the intent to cause harm to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. Haim pleaded not guilty to four counts of wrongfully obtaining health information, maintaining his innocence throughout the legal proceedings.
Haim, who works in the Dallas area, had previously been associated with Texas Children's Hospital during his residency. The indictment claimed that he accessed patient information not under his care and shared it with a media contact. This information was later used in a story alleging that the hospital was providing transgender care for minors in secret.
While transgender care for minors was legal in Texas at the time, the hospital had announced it would cease gender-affirming care in 2022. Subsequently, a ban on transgender care for minors in Texas came into effect in September 2023.
Texas Children's Hospital stated that they respect the Justice Department's decision in the case and reiterated that their doctors have always provided care within the confines of the law. Haim, who faced potential imprisonment and fines if convicted, expressed relief that the legal ordeal is over.
