Dr. Eithan Haim, left, and his defense attorney, Ryan Patrick, speak to the media after appearing for an arraignment hearing Monday, June 17,in Houston. (Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via AP)
A Dallas surgeon who calls himself “a whistleblower” regarding gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors, is facing four counts of “wrongfully obtaining individually identifiable health information” after he got that information and passed it along with a rightwing anti-trans activist with “intent to cause malicious hard” to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, according to reports by the Associated Press.
Dr. Eithan Haim pleaded not guilty in federal court on Monday, June 17. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted. He was released on $10,000 bond.
According to the indictment, in 2023 Haim — who had previously done some work at Texas Children’s as part of his residency — asked in 2023 to have his login there reactivated. He then used that login to access information on pediatric patients not under his care, including their names, attending physicians and treatment codes. He then gave that information to the rightwing activists.
Although the Texas Legislature has since enacted a law banning gender-affirming healthcare for trans minors, that law was not in effect at the time Haim accessed and shared those records. Haim has publicly acknowledged that he is the one who passed along the private patient information.