14-year-old trans girl says a Catholic clinic refused to treat her ADHD  

A 14-year-old girl in Michigan says a Catholic medical clinic in the state denied her healthcare after learning she was transgender.

Jean Oorbeck told Michigan Radio she made an appointment for her daughter Tiffinny at Emmaus Health Partners in Ann Arbor seeking treatment for the teen’s ADHD symptoms.

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After a superficial examination, the doctor asked to speak with Tiffinny’s mom privately. She says he reminded her Emmaus is a religious health clinic, and, according to Oorbeck, told her, “‘We don’t feel comfortable with Tiffinny’s presence in our office.’”

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“‘We don’t see transgendered patients in this clinic,’” Oorbeck says Dr. Scott Waclawik, a family medicine physician, explained.

When Oorbeck accused the doctor of denying her daughter medical care, he allegedly said they could see her to treat a cold, but not her ADHD, which he described as an “‘extreme case.”‘

The clinic advertises mental health care among their specialties.

Oorbeck and Tiffinny filed a complaint with Michigan’s Department of Civil Rights.

In March, Michigan expanded the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. The new rules make it illegal for individual citizens or secular business owners to deny services, housing, employment or other public goods to someone based on their gender identity, despite religious beliefs.  

How religious organizations like schools and hospitals will be affected by the new rules has yet to be resolved in court.

“It’s unknown still how the courts will make a determination on that,” said Marcelina Trevino, the director of enforcement in the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.

So far three organizations have gone to court seeking religious exemptions to the law, but all have been dismissed on grounds that didn’t address the issue of providing medical care to transgender people directly.

One plaintiff, Christian Healthcare Centers, is represented by far-right Christian Nationalist advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom, whose co-founders include James Dobson, leader of the notoriously anti-LGBTQ+ organization Focus on the Family.

“Michigan’s laws require Christian Healthcare Centers to hire people who do not share their faith and to provide cross-sex hormones contrary to its religious beliefs and medical judgment and address people with pronouns that are inconsistent with their biological sex,” reads a statement from ADF about the case. “All of this violates the ministry’s religious beliefs and undermines its ability to provide safe and affordable healthcare to the needy and the rest of the community.”

Emmaus Health Partners denies discriminating against Tiffinny and her family and says they are unaware of any complaint filed by them with Michigan authorities.

“We have not received notice from any agency that a complaint has been filed against us,” Emmaus Health Partners’ executive director, Amanda McMillan said in a statement. “Thus, we cannot comment on a specific allegation.”

“Also, we cannot comment on any specific patient related matter,” McMillan said. “While we do not have the expertise to provide hormonal management for transgender patients, we do not discriminate against patients based on gender identity nor do we refuse to provide care.”