Judge Bates cited Dr. Reshma Ramachandran, a physician who treats economically disadvantaged patients and depends on CDC materials to prescribe treatments.
Without immediate restoration, the court warned, some patients could be left untreated for life-threatening conditions due to delayed or missed appointments.
Government’s Defense Falls Flat
During a tense, 90-minute hearing on Monday, Department of Justice attorney James William Harlow struggled to justify the webpage removals, arguing that the content was still accessible through internet archives like the Wayback Machine.
Judge Bates was unmoved, calling the argument “circular” and “unpersuasive”. He ruled that DFA had demonstrated irreparable harm, clearing the way for a temporary restraining order against the government.
Trump-Era Policy Targeted “Gender Ideology”
The legal battle stems from a January 29 memo by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which ordered federal agencies to purge online content deemed to “promote or inculcate gender ideology”.
