Psychiatry · testified for the side defending the laws
Dr. Geeta Nangia, a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist retained by states defending restrictions on youth gender transition, argues that minors categorically lack the neurodevelopmental and psychosocial capacity to give informed consent to puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or surgery, and that parental consent cannot substitute for that missing capacity because the risks (including infertility) are irreversible and the underlying evidence is, in her characterization, of very low quality. She favors 'watchful waiting' and exploratory, family, and trauma-focused psychotherapy over medical transition, reporting from her own practice that most of her pediatric patients with gender dysphoria realign with their natal sex over time, and she attributes rising prevalence in part to social media, cultural shifts, and what she calls 'social contagion' alongside co-occurring trauma and other mental health conditions. In a 2025 declaration extending her framework from medical treatment to school bathroom policy, she opposes shared multi-occupancy bathrooms matching gender identity, citing privacy, safety, and trauma concerns for both transgender and non-transgender students, and favors single-occupancy gender-neutral facilities. She consistently rejects conversion therapy as detrimental and describes gender as 'mutable' in contrast to sex, which she treats as fixed.
Cases and documents
The documents are listed as the archive holds them. A document labeled with its kind alone, such as "Expert report", is one the archive attributes to the expert. One labeled "Mentions or contains" names the expert or includes the expert's testimony, and is not attributed to the expert.
Each ruling that discusses her testimony, by what it did for the side that called her. The counts are the profile's own, for the rulings it lists.
Helped the side that called her: 0Credited against the side that called her: 0Discounted, criticized or limited: 0Neither: 1
2023
Dekker v. Weida
NeitherNot assessed
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida · discovery (motion to compel Rule 35 psychiatric examinations) · court order
Her role: retained by defendants to conduct Rule 35 examinations of two plaintiffs; also author of an expert report describing her experience treating patients with gender dysphoria
The court denied without prejudice defendants' motion to compel two plaintiffs to submit to Rule 35 psychiatric examinations by Dr. Nangia, because the motion did not address her experience treating transgender children and adolescents in their identified gender, or whether she is a 'transgender denier or skeptic' -- a category the court's prior scheduling order had already barred from examining plaintiffs. The court did not rule on the substance of her qualifications or opinions; it left the question open for a renewed motion addressing those points.
“The motion sets out Dr. Nangia’s qualifications—she is a well-qualified child and adolescent psychiatrist—but does not address her experience treating transgender children and adolescents.”
Not in the archive: reports/102320.txt, reports/102325.txt and reports/102347.txt (and their duplicate doc_ids 107497, 107502, 107524) are defendants' filings in Boe v. Marshall (M.D. Ala., No. 2:22-cv-00184) responding to 'Plaintiffs' and the United States' Motion[s] to Exclude Certain Testimony of Geeta Nangia, M.D.'. The court's actual ruling on that Daubert-type motion to exclude -- which would show how the court treated her testimony on the merits -- is not among these files, only the defense's opposition brief and the sealed-filing procedural papers. reports/102325.txt's background section also references a summary-judgment record built partly on Dr. Nangia's reports and supplemental reports (SJ.DX11-13), implying summary-judgment briefing/ruling that engaged with her opinions, but no such order is in this file set. Likewise, reports/114311.txt (declaration filed in Sexuality and Gender Alliance v. Critchfield, D. Idaho) and reports/120845.txt (appendix table of contents in Dekker v. Weida's preliminary-injunction briefing) are party-side filings identifying a declaration by Dr. Nangia as an attachment; no order ruling on either declaration is present here.
Cases and roles
Case
Years
Arena
Retained by
What she filed
Boe v. Marshall
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, Northern Division (Civil Action No. 2:22-cv-184-LCB)
2024 (report and briefing filed May-Aug 2024; near-duplicate copies in the index are misdated 2022)
youth care ban
Defendants (Hon. Steve Marshall, Attorney General of Alabama, in his official capacity, et al.)
U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho (Case No. 1:23-cv-00315-DCN)
2025
school policy
Defendants, represented by the Idaho Attorney General's Office (Debbie Critchfield et al.); her declaration states only 'counsel for the Defendants' without naming the party
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee Division (Case No. 4:22-cv-00325-RH-MAF; captioned Dekker v. Marstiller in the docket text available)
not established (appendix cover sheet undated; case number indicates 2022 filing)
insurance-Medicaid
Defendants (Secretary, Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, and related state officials), per the appendix cover; not stated in her own words in the available excerpt
Minors cannot give informed consent to medical transition
She argues that adolescents lack the neurodevelopmental and psychosocial maturity to understand, appreciate, and weigh the long-term risks of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or surgery, so she employs parental consent with minor assent only after her own risk/benefit assessment, and concludes informed consent for transition is not attainable in minors.
“For this reason, with very rare exceptions, I employ parental consent with minor assent in the process of prescribing treatments to minors, and only after weighing the risk/benefit ratio of treatment interventions and providing full disclosure.”
Seen in: Boe v. Marshall, Sexuality and Gender Alliance v. Critchfield
Prefers exploratory/psychodynamic therapy to medical transition
She reports treating gender dysphoria primarily with psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, and family therapy rather than referring minors for medical transition, and she explicitly rejects conversion therapy as harmful.
“The primary modality of therapy that I have utilized in treating gender dysphoria is psychodynamic therapy, I have also utilized cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and family therapy. I do not endorse conversion therapy and I believe it is detrimental.”
“For all of these youth, I provided exploratory therapy, supportive therapy, and family therapy, or I worked with a therapist who collaborated with me in treatment, to address these factors within the adolescent’s life systems.”
Watchful waiting leads most patients to realign with natal sex
Based on her own clinical experience, she states that gender dysphoria is most often transient and that a 'watch and wait' approach, rather than social or medical transition, leads most of her adolescent patients to realign with their natal sex.
“Gender dysphoria can be a normal part of childhood development, as discussed in the section on my clinical experience above. It should not be labeled or pathologized, as it is most often transient, making a “watch and wait” approach sensible.”
“current research shows that social transition in children may lead to continued gender incongruence whereas watchful waiting and a lack of social transition may lead to desistance and realignment with natal sex.”
Seen in: Boe v. Marshall, Sexuality and Gender Alliance v. Critchfield
Trauma is a major co-occurring/contributing factor
She reports that many of her patients with gender dysphoria have histories of trauma, and that when trauma is identified and treated, gender dysphoria often remits; she cites trauma prevalence statistics among people with gender dysphoria to argue for caution before medical or social transition.
“It has been my clinical experience that when youths with gender dysphoria are treated with psychodynamic therapy, and a history of trauma is identified and subsequently treated, gender dysphoria often remits or resolves.”
“research has shown that 90 percent of individuals with gender dysphoria have experienced one trauma, and 56 percent have experienced four or more traumas.”
Seen in: Boe v. Marshall, Sexuality and Gender Alliance v. Critchfield
Rising prevalence attributed to social/cultural factors, not biology
She attributes the increased number of youth presenting with gender dysphoria to factors including social media, shifting cultural norms, heightened youth vulnerability, and what she and others term 'social contagion,' rather than to a change in an underlying biological condition.
“an increase in “pathologizing” of a normal part of childhood development, shifts in cultural norms having to do with gender exploration in adolescence, the influence of social media, heightened vulnerability in youth, and what some call “social contagion.””
“shifts in cultural norms having to do with gender exploration in adolescence, 3) the advent of social media, 4) heightened vulnerability in youth, and 5) what some call “social contagion.””
Gender-affirming medical care rests on low-quality evidence
She characterizes the research supporting puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgery for minors as low quality and lacking long-term safety and efficacy data, and on that basis calls the interventions experimental.
“the present data supporting the benefit of transition in adolescence is rated “very low quality.” There is no reliable long-term data on safety or efficacy of these treatments.”
“They deserve to not be subjected to experimental treatments that, to date, lack high-quality studies, long-term outcome measures, and proven psychological benefit.”
Opposes shared multi-occupancy bathrooms matched to gender identity
In the school bathroom-policy context, she opposes allowing gender-incongruent students to use multi-occupancy bathrooms consistent with their gender identity, citing privacy, safety, and bullying risks for those students and unstudied risks to gender-congruent peers, and instead recommends single-occupancy gender-neutral bathrooms as the best accommodation.
“gender incongruent students will be at heightened risk of experiencing these issues in any multi-occupancy bathroom, including the one consistent with their gender identity.”
“Single occupancy gender neutral bathrooms provide a place where the child or adolescent with gender incongruence can experience an environment free from other students who may place the child at risk of being bullied or encountering negative interactions.”
Seen in: Sexuality and Gender Alliance v. Critchfield
Treats sex as fixed and gender as changeable
She distinguishes sex, which she describes as genetically determined and unchanging, from gender identity, which she describes as mutable and subject to shift over time, and uses that distinction to justify continuing to designate shared facilities like bathrooms by sex.
“gender, unlike sex, is mutable. A person’s internal sense of who they are can shift, making universal accommodations for an entire “group” of people difficult, because whether they are part of that group, or not, can change over time.”
Seen in: Sexuality and Gender Alliance v. Critchfield
How her positions have shifted
The two full expert-report filings in Boe v. Marshall (doc_ids 101952 and 102159/107336, both the report she signed May 22, 2023, filed under two case numbers in 2024) are textually identical in substance -- the later filing (102159) adds her CV as an exhibit but makes no change to her stated opinions. By the time of her 2025 declaration in Sexuality and Gender Alliance v. Critchfield (doc_id 114311), she extends the same core framework (adolescent decisional immaturity, insufficient evidence, preference for caution/watchful waiting) from medical-transition questions to school bathroom-accommodation policy, a topic not addressed in the 2023/2024 Boe report, and introduces more explicit sex-is-fixed/gender-is-mutable language (114311 ¶20) that does not appear in the Boe report's informed-consent discussion.
Testimony that travels
Sentences that appear word for word in her filings in different cases.
“I have worked in the field of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry as a community psychiatrist in a wide range of settings, providing comprehensive psychiatric services for children and families.” in 2 documents: 101952, 114311
“If called to testify in this matter, I would testify truthfully and based on my expert opinion.” in 2 documents: 101952, 114311
Curriculum vitae
Current positions
Continues in private practice as a community child and adolescent psychiatrist (per her Boe v. Marshall report). source
“I continue to provide community mental health care through my private practice and am providing this opinion as a child psychiatrist working in private practice.”
As of her 2025 Critchfield declaration, still in private practice, now focused on more complex cases and trauma. source
“I continue to provide community mental health care through my private practice, with a focus on more complex cases and trauma.”
Co-founder and CEO of Known and Loved, a nonprofit (founded 2021) supporting parent-child attachment in Upstate South Carolina. source
“I was one of the founders and CEO of Known and Loved, a non-profit organization created alongside a group of physicians to improve mental health outcomes in children by supporting parent-child attachment in Upstate South Carolina.”
Continuing role with Known and Loved training foster and adoptive parents on trauma and attachment. source
“Today, as part of my continued role with Known and Loved, I provide training for foster and adoptive parents to help them understand trauma and the effects of trauma on a child’s ability to form secure attachment.”
Education and training
B.A. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Boston University; M.D., Boston University School of Medicine. source
“I obtained my B.A. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Boston University and my M.D. from Boston University School of Medicine.”
Residency in Psychiatry and fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC); fellowship completed 2007. source
“My residency and fellowship training, in Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, respectively, were at The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). I completed my fellowship in 2007.”
Past positions and roles
Taught kindergarten for one academic year (2014-2015) to gain insight into classroom management and school-based accommodations. source
“In 2014-2015, I taught kindergarten at a local school for the academic year to gain practical insight into classroom management and how school-based accommodations affect students and teachers.”
Served as a designated examiner for inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations, performing capacity assessments for courts (medicolegal role, timeframe unspecified). source
“I have also, throughout my career in mental health, served as a designated examiner for persons during inpatient hospitalizations, and as part of this process, I have performed numerous capacity assessments and presented them to courts.”
Active in teaching medical students and residents; recognized with a teaching award at MUSC (see licenses/honors). source
“received the Circle of Excellence in Teaching at MUSC.”
Clinical practice
Community child and adolescent psychiatrist across rural, urban and suburban settings; outpatient, inpatient, partial and residential care. source
“I have worked in the field of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry as a community psychiatrist in a wide range of settings, providing comprehensive psychiatric services for children and families.”
Provides psychiatric evaluations, psychotherapy, medication management and family therapy. source
“I have provided psychiatric evaluations, psychotherapy, and medication management for children and adolescents, as well as family therapy.”
Estimates having treated many patients with active or historical gender dysphoria, roughly 550 of whom were minors (as of her 2024 Boe report). source
“Over the course of my career, seeing a broad range of psychiatric disorders, I have treated many patients with active gender dysphoria or a history of gender dysphoria. Per my best reflection, I’d estimate that 550 of these have been minors.”
In her 2025 Critchfield declaration, describes working with approximately 200 children/adolescents with active gender incongruence/dysphoria over her career (a narrower or differently-scoped figure than the 550 in the 2024 Boe report; not reconciled in the files). source
“my experience working with approximately 200 children and adolescents with active gender incongruence and gender dysphoria over my career”
Treatment modalities for minors with gender dysphoria: supportive/exploratory (psychodynamic) therapy, family therapy, and psychopharmacology (medication only when comorbid conditions like depression/anxiety are present). source
“the modalities of care that I have utilized with minor patients who have gender dysphoria include supportive and exploratory (psychodynamic) therapy, family therapy, and psychopharmacology.”
States she will not prescribe medication absent sufficient evidence-based benefit outweighing risk. source
“If there are insufficient evidence-based benefits to treatment, and if benefits do not substantially outweigh risks of treatment, I do not prescribe medication.”
Licenses, boards, honors
Board-Certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Board-Certified Adult Psychiatrist. source
“I am a Board-Certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, and Board-Certified Adult Psychiatrist.”
Received the Ruth Hunter Johnson Prize in Psychiatry (medical school honor, Boston University). source
“I graduated with the Ruth Hunter Johnson Prize in Psychiatry.”
Received the Circle of Excellence in Teaching award at MUSC. source
“received the Circle of Excellence in Teaching at MUSC.”
Disclosed compensation
Boe v. Marshall: $350.00/hour for documentation; $550.00/hour for testimony source
Testimony she lists herself
Dekker v. Marstiller (referred to in the profile index as Dekker v. Weida), No. 4:22-cv-325-RH-MAF (N.D. Fla.) not established (report undated in text; case docket dated 2022) · report
Sources and method
Built from the litigation archive: 0 excerpts of opinions and oral arguments and 1 court document that name her, and 12 filings of her own. Every mention was checked for identity (0 mentions of other people with the same surname were set aside). Every quote on this page (37) was checked word for word against its source. Profile version 1. Gaps: No CV/qualifications document exists as a standalone list in the corpus; all CV facts above are drawn from narrative 'Background and Qualifications' sections of her reports/declaration, not an attached exhibit (her Critchfield declaration references a CV as 'Exhibit A' but that exhibit's text was not captured in the extracted file). No independent publications or research authored by Dr. Nangia were found; the reports' bibliographies cite only other researchers' work. Her deposition transcripts (in Boe v. Marshall) are not in this corpus; the only deposition content available is secondhand, quoted inside a defendants' brief (e.g. 'Nangia Dep. 78:13-18'), so those are not treated as her own verbatim statements here. Her Dekker v. Weida declaration is only represented by a table-of-contents line inside a larger appendix; its substantive content (which begins at appendix page 612) was not present in the available excerpt, so her specific opinions, retention terms, and compensation in that case are not established -- only her own later cross-reference to having filed a report there. Patient-count figures for gender-dysphoric minors differ across documents (550 in the 2024 Boe report vs. approximately 200 in the 2025 Critchfield declaration); the files do not explain whether these reflect different scopes (e.g., 'active' vs. cumulative) or a revised estimate. Compensation terms are established only for Boe v. Marshall; no rate information was found for Dekker v. Weida or Sexuality and Gender Alliance v. Critchfield. Several additional Boe-case docket entries (e.g. 101948, 101949, 101978, 102019, 102071, 102108, 102186, 102232 and their 107xxx duplicates) appear in the case index but were not reviewed in detail because they are procedural filings (notices, motions) rather than her own substantive statements; some index entries duplicate the same underlying PDF under different doc_ids and are misdated (year 2022) despite matching the 2024-filed documents' identical doc_url.