Florida city ordered to pay $885,000 after conversion therapy ban struck down

"Palm Beach County and Boca Raton have been ordered to pay $884,374 in attorney fees and $659 in costs to counselors Robert Otto and Julie Hamilton, who had previously brought a lawsuit against the county's ban, claiming it violated their First Amendment rights. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in their favor in 2022, nullifying the ban and any like it in the state."

"Conversion therapy, also referred to as "reparative therapy," has been denounced by the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, World Psychiatric Association, American Medical Association, and every other major medical organization. The World Health Organization concludes that the practice "lacks medical justification and represents a serious threat to the health and well-being of affected people," including significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, self-destructive behavior, suicidal idealization, and suicide attempts."

"The U.S. Supreme Court is currently deliberating in Chiles v. Salazar, brought by Kaley Chiles, a counselor in Colorado, against Patty Salazar, executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, over the state's ban. A decision is expected in June next year. Twenty-three other states and Washington, D.C. have similar laws barring licensed mental health providers from subjecting minors to practices aimed at changing their sexual orientation or gender identity, according to the Movement Advancement Project."

Palm Beach County and Boca Raton were ordered to pay $884,374 in attorney fees and $659 in costs to counselors Robert Otto and Julie Hamilton after a court invalidated the county's ban on conversion therapy for minors. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled for the counselors in 2022, nullifying the ban and similar ordinances in Florida. Major medical organizations condemn conversion therapy and the World Health Organization states the practice lacks medical justification and poses serious health risks, including elevated depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. The U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing Chiles v. Salazar, with a decision expected in June, while 23 states and Washington, D.C. maintain bans on licensed providers performing conversion efforts on minors.

Read at Advocate.com