A 22-year-old woman has won $2 million in the nation’s first detransitioner malpractice lawsuit to go to trial, marking a significant legal precedent in cases involving gender dysphoria treatment for minors.

Landmark Legal Victory

Varian, who underwent double mastectomy surgery as a minor in 2019, received $1.6 million for pain and suffering plus $400,000 for future medical expenses. A Westchester County Supreme Court jury found psychologist Kenneth Einhorn and surgeon Simon Chin responsible for ignoring medical standards and procedural safeguards. The medical professionals allegedly pressured the minor into permanent surgery without following proper protocols for treating gender dysphoria in adolescents.

Varian’s legal team argued that Einhorn “drove the train” and planted the surgical idea in the teenager’s mind. Her mother, Claire Deacon, testified against the surgery but consented out of fear her daughter might commit suicide. Deacon later called this a “scare tactic,” stating the doctor was “very, very wrong” despite believing his own advice at the time.

Medical Standards Under Scrutiny

The jury focused specifically on whether medical professionals followed appropriate procedures before recommending irreversible surgery, rather than judging the ethics of gender-related procedures for minors. Defense attorneys for Einhorn and Chin argued that Varian lived happily as male for several years after the 2019 surgery before filing suit in 2023. They claimed she initially presented using male pronouns, identified as transgender, and first suggested the chest surgery herself.

Growing Legal Movement

This victory comes nearly one year after President Trump implemented restrictions on gender-based medical interventions for minors with gender dysphoria. The case represents the first of 28 detransitioner lawsuits currently proceeding through various stages of legal proceedings nationwide. Court documents indicate the surgery left Varian physically ill and deeply unhappy, though these papers have since been sealed. The precedent could influence how medical professionals approach gender dysphoria treatment protocols for adolescent patients moving forward.