Settlement Reached: Feds Must Restore Deleted Health Data and Websites

The Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA), along with eight other health and public health organizations, has settled its lawsuit against the federal government. The lawsuit was filed in May 2025 to stop the deletion of critical public health and science data from U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) websites.

The deleted information included FAQs for Mpox treatment, HRSA resources on opioid use among women, LGBTQ+ health materials, information on transgender behavioral health disparities, and the HHS reproductive rights website. These removals stemmed from executive orders targeting DEI efforts and LGBTQ-related care and research.

A settlement has now been reached in Washington State Medical Association et al. v. Kennedy et al., restoring the webpages and data healthcare providers and scientists rely on.

“This settlement represents a win for nurses, science, and patients. When clinicians, researchers, and advocates join together in pushing back against harmful policies by the administration, we can make a meaningful impact for our patients," - Justin Gill, President, Washington State Nurses Association. 

About The Lawsuit

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, claims that numerous federally maintained websites and databases containing public health and scientific information have been deleted since January 2025. According to the plaintiffs, the removed content includes data on pregnancy risks, opioid-use disorder, the AIDS epidemic, and other health conditions.

The plaintiffs include:

• The Washington State Medical Association, Washington State Nurses Association
• Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
• AcademyHealth, and five other national and regional public health organizations.

The complaint alleged that the removals were "arbitrary, capricious and unreasoned" and violate federal law requiring such information to be publicly accessible.

The suit requestsed that the federal government restore the removed data and websites, and halt any further deletions of public health resources.

Dr. John Bramhall, president of the Washington State Medical Association, said in a statement that the deletions removed trusted resources used by healthcare providers in patient care.

Justin Gill, DNP, APRN, RN, president of the Washington State Nurses Association, stated that lack of access to up-to-date data poses challenges to evidence-based care. Dr. Beth Ebel, president of the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, raised concerns about the disappearance of pediatric health guidance and early alert data.

The plaintiffs asserted that the removed websites were funded by taxpayer dollars and widely used by healthcare professionals, researchers, and public health officials. They claimed the removals impact efforts to address health issues ranging from infectious disease outbreaks to behavioral health trends.

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