Minton v. Dignity Health

Minton v. Dignity Health is a lawsuit filed against a Dignity Health medical center for withholding medical care because of a patient's gender identity, amounting to sex discrimination in violation of California's Unruh Civil Rights Act.

Minton, 35, is a transgender man who was scheduled to receive a hysterectomy in August at Mercy San Juan Medical Center, a hospital in the Dignity Health chain. Two days prior to the appointment, a nurse called to discuss the surgery and Minton mentioned that he is transgender. The next day, the hospital canceled the procedure.

Dignity Health regularly allows hysterectomies for patients who are not transgender and Minton's doctor at Mercy San Juan Medical Center has said this is the first time the hospital has prevented her from doing this surgery and it was clear that the surgery was canceled because Minton is transgender.

Dignity Health is the 5th largest healthcare system in the country and the largest hospital provider in California, with 29 hospitals across the state.

[RULING]November 21, 2021[/RULING] The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Dignity Health's appeal of the Court of Appeal decision.

[UPDATE]December 18, 2019[/UPDATE] Defendant's petition for review is denied by the California Supreme Court.

[FILING]November 22, 2019[/FILING] Appellants' Answer to Petition for Review

[RULING]September 17, 2019[/RULING] The Court of Appeal confirmed that it is illegal discrimination for a hospital to deny someone care simply because they’re transgender and allows the lawsuit filed by Evan Minton against Dignity Health to move forward. The opinion states: "subsequent rectification of [Dignity Health's] denial [of care], while likely mitigating plaintiff's damages, did not extinguish his cause of action for discrimination in violation of the Unruh Act" and "'Full and equal' access requires avoiding discrimination, not merely remedying it after it has occurred." Read the opinion.

[FILING]April 19, 2019[/FILING] Application for Leave to File Amicus Curiae Brief and Amicus Curiae Brief of the California Medical Association in Support of Plaintiff-Appellant Evan Minton

[FILING]April 18, 2019[/FILING] Application for Leave to File Amicus Curiae Brief and Proposed Brief of Amici Curiae National Center for Lesbian Rights and Twelve Additional Nonprofit Organizations in Support of Plaintiff-Appellant Evan Minton

[FILING]April 5, 2019[/FILING] Appellant's Reply Brief to Respondent's Brief

[APPEAL] November 5, 2018[/APPEAL] Appellant's Opening Brief to the Court of Appeal in California's First District Court of Appeal

[FILING] November 11, 2017[/FILING] Defendant Dignity Health's Reply Brief in Support of Demurrers to First Amended Verified Complaint.

[FILING] November 3, 2017[/FILING] Plaintiff Evan Minton's Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Opposition to Defendant Dignity Health's Demurrers to First Amended Complaint.

[FILING] October 23, 2017[/FILING] Defendant Dignity Health's Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Support of Demurrers to First Amended Verified Complaint.

[FILING] September 9, 2017[/FILING] Plaintiff's First Amended Complaint.

[FILING] August 18, 2017[/FILING] Defendant Dignity Health's Reply in Support of Demurrer to Verified Complaint.

[FILING] July 24, 2017[/FILING] Plaintiff's opposition to defendant's demurrers to verified complaint.

[FILING]July 3, 2017[/FILING] Dignity Health's Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Support of Demurrers to Verified Complaint.

[FILING]July 3, 2017[/FILING] Dignity Health dba Mercy San Juan Medical Center's Demurrers to Verified Complaint.

[FILING]July 3, 2017[/FILING]Declaration of Craig S. Rutenberg

[FILING]July 3, 2017[/FILING] Dignity Health's Notice of Demurrer to Verified Complaint .

[FILING]July 3, 2017[/FILING] Dignity Health's Request for Judicial Notice in Support of Demurrers to Verified Complaint.

[FILING]April 19, 2017[/FILING] Read the complaint.