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New York Jury Awards $2 Million to Detransitioner in First Malpractice Verdict Over Teen Mastectomy

Jurors concluded providers departed from accepted care in approving a double mastectomy for a 16-year-old.

Overview

  • A Westchester County jury found psychologist Kenneth Einhorn and plastic surgeon Simon H. Chin liable for deviating from medical standards, awarding Fox Varian $1.6 million for pain and suffering and $400,000 for future medical costs.
  • The case was tried strictly as medical malpractice, with defense witnesses citing WPATH guidance while the panel determined key evaluation and communication steps were skipped.
  • Testimony highlighted Varian’s depression, eating disorders, ADHD, autism, and body-image issues, and her mother said she consented after warnings about suicide risk; Einhorn denied coercion and the defense noted signed consent.
  • Reporters identify the verdict as the first jury win by a detransitioner in the U.S., with roughly two to three dozen similar lawsuits pending that could affect insurer policies, hospital practices, and litigation strategies.
  • The trial record was initially sealed, and independent journalist Benjamin Ryan’s reporting from the three-week proceeding provided rare public detail on the evidence and expert testimony.