Black Maryland parents sue DC children's hospital over removal, sex change, trafficking of autistic son—they haven't been allowed to see him in 3 years

African-American parents from Maryland are suing Washington Children's National Hospital (WCNH) for requiring them to denounce their religious faith and affirm a transgender identity for their 16-year-old autistic son in order to regain access to him and not lose custody. The family lost their son to the foster care system in November 2021 and have not seen him since. They initially brought their son to hospital for a mental health emergency.

The family has remained anonymous, using the monikers Mr. and Mrs. John Doe II in court, to protect their son's identity, as well as the identity of their two younger children.

The parents, both in their 40s, allege that the Washington, DC hospital denied them access to their son unless they denounced their Baptist faith and also agreed to use female pronouns for him, which they refused. Their son was kept in hospital on emergency mental health holds for 41 days before he was placed in foster care.