Summarised by Centrist
Dr Johanna Olson-Kennedy, celebrated as a leading expert in youth gender medicine, is facing a lawsuit for medical negligence from Kaya Clementine Breen. Breen, a 20-year-old, underwent a gender transition starting at age 12.
Breen alleges she was rushed through puberty blockers, hormones, and a double mastectomy without proper evaluation of her mental health history, including autism, PTSD, and sexual abuse.
“Clementine’s providers coerced her and her parents with the threat of suicide and false information,” the lawsuit claims, describing the treatment as “a despicable, failed medical experiment.”
Breen argues that Olson-Kennedy initiated transition treatments during their first meeting without a mental health evaluation or input from a gender therapist. Within months, Breen was on puberty blockers, prescribed testosterone by age 13, and underwent a double mastectomy at 14.
Olson-Kennedy, who leads the Center for Transyouth at Los Angeles Children’s Hospital, has faced scrutiny before. Last month, she admitted to halting the publication of a $10m taxpayer-funded study after it found no evidence that puberty blockers improve children’s mental health, citing concerns about the research being “weaponised.”
The lawsuit also alleges Olson-Kennedy misrepresented Breen’s history in communications with her surgeon, falsely claiming she had identified as male since childhood to justify the irreversible procedure.
Breen’s parents were reportedly pressured with unfounded claims that their child would commit suicide without cross-sex hormone therapy, despite no history of suicidal ideation.
