Update: Judge Kim Cooks has ruled that James' parents will have joint conservatorship over him. Read more by clicking here.

DALLAS, Texas, October 23, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — The governor of Texas tweeted today that the state will be investigating the case of a mother who is trying to orchestrate a gender “transition” for her seven-year-old son against the wishes of his father.

Click here to sign the petition to #ProtectJamesYounger

This evening, Republican Governor Greg Abbott tweeted that the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services will be looking into the James Younger case.

FYI the matter of 7 year old James Younger is being looked into by the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. #JamesYounger — Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 23, 2019

Dr. Anne Georgulas and Mr. Jeffrey Younger have been in a complicated custody dispute over their twins, James and Jude. Dr. Georgulas has been telling James he’s a girl since he was three, and his pediatrician, Dr. Jennifer Pape, classifies him as a female in his medical records. She enrolled him in kindergarten as a girl named “Luna.” He uses the girls’ restroom, and all of this classmates believe he is a girl.

Dr. Georgulas, also a pediatrician, wants to subject James to puberty-blockers and cross-sex hormones as well as legally force his father to treat him as a girl.

With a consensus of 11 of the 12 jurors, the jury decided Monday not to grant Mr. Younger sole managing conservatorship over his twin boys. They voted that the current joint managing conservatorship should be replaced by a sole managing conservatorship, but that Mr. Younger should not be the conservator. The jury ruled on Mr. Younger’s petitions since he requested a jury trial. Tomorrow, Judge Kim Cooks will rule on Georgulas’s petitions and the specifics of the jury’s ruling, such as possession and child support.

Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called the case “horrifying” and “tragic.” He called on his state to protect James from being used “as a pawn in a left-wing political agenda.”

A 7-year-old child doesn't have the maturity to make profound decisions like this. The state of Texas should protect this child's right to choose—as an informed, mature person—and not be used as a pawn in a left-wing political agenda. #ProtectJamesYounger — Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) October 24, 2019

Since Monday’s ruling, there has been an explosion of outrage around the country. Although only two news outlets, LifeSiteNews and The Texan, were present for the entire trial, numerous other conservative media outlets have since picked up the story, including Breitbart, TheBlaze, and The Daily Wire. Channel One, a Russian outlet, was at some of the trial. The Dallas Morning News showed up today, when Judge Cooks’s now delayed ruling was expected.

Conservative commentator Matt Walsh started the hashtag #protectjamesyounger, which exploded to over 44,000 tweets in about 24 hours. Many individuals had called on Gov. Abbott and others to Texas leaders to weigh in on this case and to consider passing legislation to protect children from being given puberty-blockers and cross-sex hormones.

Experts who testified on behalf of Mr. Younger noted the many possible side effects of giving a child such powerful drugs, such as infertility, the inability to feel sexual pleasure, and shortened life expectancy. Many observers have wondered how a child barely of elementary school age can consent to what is essentially chemical castration.

Governor Abbott just appointed a new head of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. According to The Texan, Governor Abbott appointed Jaime Masters on October 9 to head the department. The role had been vacant since May. Masters’s appointment does not begin until December.

In a press release, Governor Abbott stated, “[DFPS] needs a leader who has the experience to build upon its recent successes and improve care for all Texas families.”

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has been under scrutiny recently for removing Drake Pardo, a four-year-old homeschooler, from his family after his parents sought a second medical opinion.

Follow all LifeSiteNews coverage of the James Younger case here.