Ken Paxton Backs Mary Talley Bowden in Legal Fight Against Medical Board

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken legal action to support Houston physician Mary Talley Bowden in her lawsuit against the Texas Medical Board, arguing the board violated her constitutional rights by issuing an administrative penalty and public reprimand.

Throughout the pandemic, Dr. Bowden heavily promoted the use of ivermectin for early treatment of COVID-19, often criticizing federal health guidelines.

The dispute stems from a 2021 case in which the family of a hospitalized first responder sought a court order directing Bowden, or a nurse under her supervision, to administer ivermectin to a COVID-19 patient who was on a ventilator and in a medically induced coma. A state district court granted the order, but an appeals court later blocked it. Bowden has said she was unaware of the stay and continued efforts to provide treatment in good faith. Hospital staff ultimately refused entry to the nurse and contacted law enforcement.

Major health organizations, including the FDA, WHO, and NIH, advise against using ivermectin for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 outside of clinical trials. Numerous large-scale, well-designed clinical trials have concluded that ivermectin provides no clinically meaningful benefit for COVID-19 patients. 

Despite Bowden’s claim she relied on a court order and legal advice, the Medical Board issued a public reprimand. Bowden has sued to overturn that action.

Paxton has declined to represent the Medical Board in the case and has filed an intervention in support of Bowden. He is also declining to represent the board in another related lawsuit brought by her.

“I will not stand by as Dr. Bowden has her constitutional rights trampled,” Paxton said, calling the reprimand illegal and procedurally flawed.

Paxton’s filing argues the board ignored medical expert testimony, failed to consider Bowden’s reliance on legal guidance, and denied her due process.