U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley demands records of gender-related treatments from Missouri children's hospital

Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Missouri's U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley announced that his office will begin investigating St. Louis Children's Hospital after he said a report details alleged child abuse and medical malpractice at the hospital.

Hawley's letter to the Washington University Pediatric Transgender Center at St. Louis Children's Hospital demanded the medical records of minors that were referred to the center.

"Starting immediately, your institutions must take steps to preserve all records, written and electronic, regarding gender-related treatments performed on minors since the opening of the center," Hawley wrote in a letter to Washington University in St. Louis Chancellor Andrew D. Martin, St. Louis Children's Hospital President Trish M. Lollo, and Christopher Lewis and Sarah Garwood, the co-directors of the hospital's transgender center. "Additional oversight inquiries and outreach will follow."

The Missouri senator also is requesting the number and percentage of minors treated at the Washington University Pediatric Transgender Center that have detransitioned.

Hawley's letter came the same day that a story published on a right-wing news website claimed that there was years of malpractice at the center.

Washington University in St. Louis said in a statement that it was alarmed by the allegations and would be complying fully with the investigation.

"We are taking this matter very seriously and have already begun the process of looking into the situation to ascertain the facts," the university said. "As always, our highest priority is the health and well-being of our patients. We are committed to providing compassionate, family-centered care to all of our patients and we hold our medical practitioners to the highest professional and ethical standards."