(The Washington Stand) — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) effectively declared war last Monday on the “chemical and surgical mutilation of children,” encouraging whistleblowers, opening a complaint portal, and launching an investigation against Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) for its retaliatory firing of whistleblowing nurse Vanessa Sivadge.

The actions implement President Trump’s Day One executive order “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation.” The order announces as a “policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures.”

HHS announced last Monday that its Office of Civil Rights (OCR) had “initiated an investigation of a major pediatric teaching hospital for allegedly terminating the employment of a whistleblower nurse for exercising her federally protected rights of conscience.”

The federal conscience protections in question are known as the Church Amendments (42 U.S.C. § 300a-7). These prohibit certain federally funded entities from discriminating against anyone who refuses to perform a “sterilization procedure … on the grounds that his performance … would be contrary to his religious beliefs or moral convictions,” or against anyone simply “because of his religious beliefs or moral convictions respecting sterilization procedures.” In fact, the law protects individuals from assisting in “any part of a health service program” under HHS “contrary to his religious beliefs or moral convictions.”

Sivadge filed a complaint with HHS on February 18, 2025, alleging that TCH unlawfully discriminated against her by first refusing to grant a religious accommodation by allowing her to transfer to a different department, then by firing her after she blew the whistle. A Family Research Council petition urging TCH to reinstate Sivadge gained nearly 24,000 signatures.

In a letter dated April 14, 2025, the HHS OCR informed Sivadge’s legal team, “OCR has reviewed Ms. Sivadge’s complaint and has determined it has sufficient authority and cause to investigate whether the Texas Children’s Hospital (‘TCH’), which receives funds from HHS, complies with the Church Amendments,” according to a copy obtained by TWS.

“Specifically, OCR is investigating whether TCH discriminated against her by denying her request for a religious accommodation from participating in sterilization procedures based on her religious beliefs and subsequently terminating her employment,” continued the letter, signed by Lucila G. Rosas, deputy director of policy in OCR.

READ: Texas nurse fired after revealing alleged illegal Medicaid use for child transgender hormones

Sivadge also testified last week before the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government, alongside Eithan Haim, another TCH whistleblower who narrowly avoided jail time after ruthless persecution by the Biden administration.

TCH is not the only hospital providing puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and (in some cases) gender transition surgeries to minors. A March investigation found at least 37 hospitals still providing the procedures to minors, including nine in states that have enacted legislation to protect minors from the harmful, irreversible procedures. An unknown number of other hospitals might also be willing to provide gender transition procedures to minors, without publicly saying so.

Therefore, HHS launched last Monday an online complaint portal for whistleblowers to report other hospitals that are illegally providing gender transition procedures to minors.

HHS provides three reporting methods to prospective whistleblowers. First, they can use an online submission form for “information that does not include protected health information (PHI).” Second, if the whistleblower plans to report “fraud, abuse, or misconduct related to Medicare, Medicaid, or other HHS programs,” HHS directs them to the HHS Office of Inspector General, which has its own online portal, as well as a 1-800 hotline. Third, prospective whistleblowers may use the OCR complaint portal “for any complaint involving conscience protections.”

Along with the new portal, HHS also released new “guidance” for whistleblowers. The term could imply that HHS created new barriers or red tape for whistleblowers to jump through, but the document could be more properly described as “encouragement.” HHS provided the guidance to “allay” the “fears” whistleblowers might have about potential HIPAA liability – as the Biden DOJ alleged in its baseless prosecution of Haim – or retaliation – as Sivadge faced. The guidance informed whistleblowers about the robust protections in place for ordinary people who courageously step forward to expose corruption and abuse.

“The Department will robustly enforce Federal laws protecting these courageous whistleblowers,” promised Acting HHS OCR director Anthony Archeval, “including laws that protect health care professionals from being forced to violate their religious beliefs or moral convictions.”

Reprinted with permission from The Washington Stand.