WHITMAN-WALKER CLINIC, INC. et al v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES et al

Filing 1

COMPLAINT against ALEX M. AZAR, II, ROGER SEVERINO, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, SEEMA VERMA ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number ADCDC-7253108) filed by SARAH HENN, MD, MPH, BRADBURY-SULLIVAN LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER, RANDY PUMPHREY, D.MIN, LCC, BCC, WARD CARPENTER, MD, LOS ANGELES LGBT CENTER, ROBERT BOLAN, MD, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICIANS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, INC. d/b/a GLMA: HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ADVANCING LGBTQ EQUALITY, THE TRANSLATIN@ COALITION, WHITMAN-WALKER CLINIC, Inc. d/b/a WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTH, AGLP: THE ASSOCIATION OF LGBTQ PSYCHIATRISTS. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit 1, # 2 Exhibit 2, # 3 Civil Cover Sheet, # 4 Summons U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, # 5 Summons Alex M. Azar II, # 6 Summons Roger Severino, # 7 Summons Seema Verma, # 8 Summons U.S. Attorney General, # 9 Summons U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia)(Dennehy, Johanna)

CIVIL COVER SHEET
JS-44 (Rev. 6/17 DC)

I. (a) PLAINTIFFS

DEFENDANTS

Whitman-Walker Clinic, Inc. d/b/a Whitman-Walker Health; The
TransLatin@ Coalition; Los Angeles LGBT Center;
Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, et al.
(See full list of plaintiffs attached)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Alex M. Azar II, in his official capacity as
Secretary of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Roger Severino, in his
official capacity as Director, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services; Seema Verma, in her official capacity as Administrator of Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

N/A
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE OF FIRST LISTED DEFENDANT _____________________
(IN U.S. PLAINTIFF CASES ONLY)

11001
(b) COUNTY OF RESIDENCE OF FIRST LISTED PLAINTIFF _____________________
(EXCEPT IN U.S. PLAINTIFF CASES)
(c) ATTORNEYS (FIRM NAME, ADDRESS, AND TELEPHONE NUMBER)

NOTE: IN LAND CONDEMNATION CASES, USE THE LOCATION OF THE TRACT OF LAND INVOLVED

ATTORNEYS (IF KNOWN)

Johanna Dennehy (D.C. Bar No. 1008090)
Steptoe & Johnson LLP
1330 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
Phone: [phone]; Fax: [phone]; [e-mail]
(See attached list of attorneys)

II. BASIS OF JURISDICTION

o
o

III. CITIZENSHIP OF PRINCIPAL PARTIES (PLACE AN x IN ONE BOX FOR

(PLACE AN x IN ONE BOX ONLY)

1 U.S. Government
Plaintiff
2 U.S. Government
Defendant

o
o

3 Federal Question
(U.S. Government Not a Party)
4 Diversity
(Indicate Citizenship of
Parties in item III)

PLAINTIFF AND ONE BOX FOR DEFENDANT) FOR DIVERSITY CASES ONLY!
PTF
DFT

Citizen of this State
Citizen of Another State
Citizen or Subject of a
Foreign Country

o1 o1
o2 o2
o3 o3

Incorporated or Principal Place
of Business in This State
Incorporated and Principal Place
of Business in Another State
Foreign Nation

PTF

DFT

o4 o4
o5 o5
o6 o6

IV. CASE ASSIGNMENT AND NATURE OF SUIT
(Place an X in one category, A-N, that best represents your Cause of Action and one in a corresponding Nature of Suit)

o

A. Antitrust
410 Antitrust

o

o

o

B. Personal Injury/
Malpractice
310 Airplane
315 Airplane Product Liability
320 Assault, Libel & Slander
330 Federal Employers Liability
340 Marine
345 Marine Product Liability
350 Motor Vehicle
355 Motor Vehicle Product Liability
360 Other Personal Injury
362 Medical Malpractice
365 Product Liability
367 Health Care/Pharmaceutical
Personal Injury Product Liability
368 Asbestos Product Liability

E. General Civil (Other)

Real Property
210 Land Condemnation
220 Foreclosure
230 Rent, Lease & Ejectment
240 Torts to Land
245 Tort Product Liability
290 All Other Real Property
Personal Property
370 Other Fraud
371 Truth in Lending
380 Other Personal Property
Damage
385 Property Damage
Product Liability

C. Administrative Agency
Review
151 Medicare Act

Social Security
861 HIA (1395ff)
862 Black Lung (923)
863 DIWC/DIWW (405(g))
864 SSID Title XVI
865 RSI (405(g))
Other Statutes
891 Agricultural Acts
893 Environmental Matters
890 Other Statutory Actions (If
Administrative Agency is
Involved)

OR
Bankruptcy
422 Appeal 27 USC 158
423 Withdrawal 28 USC 157
Prisoner Petitions
535 Death Penalty
540 Mandamus & Other
550 Civil Rights
555 Prison Conditions
560 Civil Detainee – Conditions
of Confinement
Property Rights
820 Copyrights
830 Patent
835 Patent – Abbreviated New
Drug Application
840 Trademark

o

o

D. Temporary Restraining
Order/Preliminary
Injunction

Any nature of suit from any category
may be selected for this category of
case assignment.
*(If Antitrust, then A governs)*

F. Pro Se General Civil
Federal Tax Suits
870 Taxes (US plaintiff or
defendant)
871 IRS-Third Party 26 USC
7609
Forfeiture/Penalty
625 Drug Related Seizure of
Property 21 USC 881
690 Other
Other Statutes
375 False Claims Act
376 Qui Tam (31 USC
3729(a))
400 State Reapportionment
430 Banks & Banking
450 Commerce/ICC
Rates/etc.
460 Deportation

462 Naturalization
Application
465 Other Immigration
Actions
470 Racketeer Influenced
& Corrupt Organization
480 Consumer Credit
490 Cable/Satellite TV
850 Securities/Commodities/
Exchange
896 Arbitration
899 Administrative Procedure
Act/Review or Appeal of
Agency Decision
950 Constitutionality of State
Statutes
890 Other Statutory Actions
(if not administrative agency
review or Privacy Act)

o

G. Habeas Corpus/
2255

o

o

H. Employment
Discrimination

895 Freedom of Information Act
890 Other Statutory Actions
(if Privacy Act)

442 Civil Rights – Employment
(criteria: race, gender/sex,
national origin,
discrimination, disability, age,
religion, retaliation)

530 Habeas Corpus – General
510 Motion/Vacate Sentence
463 Habeas Corpus – Alien
Detainee

*(If pro se, select this deck)*

o

K. Labor/ERISA
(non-employment)
710 Fair Labor Standards Act
720 Labor/Mgmt. Relations
740 Labor Railway Act
751 Family and Medical
Leave Act
790 Other Labor Litigation
791 Empl. Ret. Inc. Security Act

o

o

L. Other Civil Rights
(non-employment)
441 Voting (if not Voting Rights
Act)
443 Housing/Accommodations
440 Other Civil Rights
445 Americans w/Disabilities –
Employment
446 Americans w/Disabilities –
Other
448 Education

o 1 Original o 2 Removed o 3 Remanded
from State
Court

J. Student Loan
152 Recovery of Defaulted
Student Loan
(excluding veterans)

*(If pro se, select this deck)*

V. ORIGIN

Proceeding

o

I. FOIA/Privacy Act

from Appellate
Court

o

M. Contract
110 Insurance
120 Marine
130 Miller Act
140 Negotiable Instrument
150 Recovery of Overpayment
& Enforcement of
Judgment
153 Recovery of Overpayment
of Veteran’s Benefits
160 Stockholder’s Suits
190 Other Contracts
195 Contract Product Liability
196 Franchise

N. Three-Judge
Court
441 Civil Rights – Voting
(if Voting Rights Act)

o 4 Reinstated o 5 Transferred o 6 Multi-district o 7 Appeal to
or Reopened

from another
district (specify)

District Judge
from Mag.
Judge

Litigation

o 8 Multi-district
Litigation –
Direct File

VI. CAUSE OF ACTION (CITE THE U.S. CIVIL STATUTE UNDER WHICH YOU ARE FILING AND WRITE A BRIEF STATEMENT OF CAUSE.)
Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. § 706(2). Plaintiffs seek an injunction and declaration that the regulation entitled Nondiscrimination in Health and health Education Programs or Activities is unlawful and unenforceable.

VII. REQUESTED IN
COMPLAINT

CHECK IF THIS IS A CLASS
ACTION UNDER F.R.C.P. 23

DEMAND $
JURY DEMAND:

VIII. RELATED CASE(S)
IF ANY

(See instruction)

YES

6/22/2020
DATE: _________________________

NO

Check YES only if demanded in complaint

YES

✘

NO

✘

If yes, please complete related case form

/s/ Johanna Dennehy
SIGNATURE OF ATTORNEY OF RECORD _________________________________________________________
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING CIVIL COVER SHEET JS-44
Authority for Civil Cover Sheet

The JS-44 civil cover sheet and the information contained herein neither replaces nor supplements the filings and services of pleadings or other papers as required
by law, except as provided by local rules of court. This form, approved by the Judicial Conference of the United States in September 1974, is required for the use of the
Clerk of Court for the purpose of initiating the civil docket sheet. Consequently, a civil cover sheet is submitted to the Clerk of Court for each civil complaint filed.
Listed below are tips for completing the civil cover sheet. These tips coincide with the Roman Numerals on the cover sheet.
I.

COUNTY OF RESIDENCE OF FIRST LISTED PLAINTIFF/DEFENDANT (b) County of residence: Use 11001 to indicate plaintiff if resident
of Washington, DC, 88888 if plaintiff is resident of United States but not Washington, DC, and 99999 if plaintiff is outside the United States.

III.

CITIZENSHIP OF PRINCIPAL PARTIES: This section is completed only if diversity of citizenship was selected as the Basis of Jurisdiction
under Section II.

IV.

CASE ASSIGNMENT AND NATURE OF SUIT: The assignment of a judge to your case will depend on the category you select that best
represents the primary cause of action found in your complaint. You may select only one category. You must also select one corresponding
nature of suit found under the category of the case.

VI.

CAUSE OF ACTION: Cite the U.S. Civil Statute under which you are filing and write a brief statement of the primary cause.

VIII.

RELATED CASE(S), IF ANY: If you indicated that there is a related case, you must complete a related case form, which may be obtained from
the Clerk’s Office.

Because of the need for accurate and complete information, you should ensure the accuracy of the information provided prior to signing the form.

Civil Cover Sheet for Whitman-Walker Clinic, Inc. d/b/a Whitman-Walker Health, et al., v.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, et al.
Attachment 1
Answer to Question 1(a) – Plaintiffs
Whitman-Walker Clinic, Inc. d/b/a Whitman-Walker Health
The TransLatin@ Coalition
Los Angeles LGBT Center
Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center
American Association of Physicians for Human Rights d/b/a GLMA: Health Professionals
Advancing LGBTQ Equality
AGLP: The Association of LGBTQ Psychiatrists
Sarah Henn, MD, MPH
Randy Pumphrey, D.MIN, LCC, BCC
Robert Bolan, MD
Ward Carpenter, MD

Civil Cover Sheet for Whitman-Walker Clinic, Inc. d/b/a Whitman-Walker Health, et al., v.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, et al.
Attachment 2
Answer to Question 1(c) – Attorneys for Plaintiffs
For All Plaintiffs
OMAR GONZALEZ-PAGAN
(application to appear pro hac vice pending)
LAMBDA LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND, INC.
120 Wall Street, 19th Floor
New York, NY 10005
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
KAREN LOEWY
(application to appear pro hac vice pending)
LAMBDA LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND, INC.
120 Wall Street, 19th Floor
New York, NY 10005
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
CARL S. CHARLES
(application to appear pro hac vice pending)
LAMBDA LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND, INC.
120 Wall Street, 19th Floor
New York, NY 10005
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
JAMIE A. GLIKSBERG
(application to appear pro hac vice pending)
LAMBDA LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND, INC.
105 West Adams, 26th Floor
Chicago, IL 60603
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

LAURIE EDELSTEIN
(application to appear pro hac vice pending)
STEPTOE & JOHNSON LLP
One Market Plaza
Spear Tower, Suite 3900
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
MICHAEL VATIS (Bar No. 422141)
[e-mail]
STEPTOE & JOHNSON LLP
1114 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
KHRISTOPH A. BECKER
(application to appear pro hac vice pending)
STEPTOE & JOHNSON LLP
1114 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
LAURA LANE-STEELE
(U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Bar Application pending)
STEPTOE & JOHNSON LLP
1330 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]