The controversial Dr. Jackson Gates is reaping from the pain he sowed, regarding the family suing a hospital for allegedly decapitating their infant during childbirth. Nah, he didn’t deliver the baby. However, he was accused of posting photos of the corpse on Instagram.
A Fulton County judge found Dr. Gates and his office are liable in the civil lawsuit filed by couple Jessica Ross and Treveon Taylor Sr.
Their filing states that while they were preparing their legal battle against Dr. Tracey St. Julian and the Clayton County Southern Regional Medical Center, they asked Dr. Gates to perform a private autopsy of the infant. The parents claim that while Ross was in labor, her baby’s shoulders were stuck in the birth canal and with excessive force attempting to free the baby, their head was severed from its body by Dr. St. Julian.
Next thing they knew, they were receiving phone calls from family members saying gruesome pictures of their deceased child were circulating Instagram. Immediately, attorney Roderick Edmond issued a cease and desist, forcing Dr. Gates to remove the original post. However, the suit says two more videos were posted of the newborn’s autopsy.
Gates argued that posting the images and videos from the postmortem exam was for “educational purposes,” per WSB-TV.
Earlier this week, a Fulton County judge found him and his office liable for intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and fraud after failing to respond to the civil complaint, the report says.
He and his company will have to pay monetary damages to the parents. The announcement was bittersweet, according to their attorney.
“They are happy with that result, however, there’s still no true joy or celebration with this outcome,” the couple’s attorney told the AJC. “They were taken advantage of, not only by the hospital, but also violated again by Dr. Gates, and it’s been tough for them.”