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A Georgia couple is suing pathologist Dr. Jackson Gates for violating their privacy by posting pictures of their dead baby on social media. It was revealed that the parents paid $2,500 to the latter for a private autopsy. However, they were not told that pictures of the investigation would be uploaded to Instagram. Responding to the controversy, some netizens said:
Trigger Warning: The following article includes explicit details. Reader’s discretion is advised.
On 1 September 2023, Jessica Ross and her boyfriend, Treveon Isaiah Taylor, filed a lawsuit against Dr Jackson Gates. This comes after they had hired him for their dead infant’s autopsy. They are accusing the doctor of fraud, violating their privacy, and instigating emotional distress.
The parents had also filed a lawsuit against Southern Regional Medical Center. It was revealed that the obstetrician who was to deliver the baby applied excessive force to the newborn’s head and neck, which led to the baby’s decapitation. Dr. Tracey St Julian ended up delivering “only the legs and the body” through a cesarean section, while the head was delivered vaginally.
After the tragic passing of the child, the hospital allegedly wrongfully claimed that the baby had died before childbirth.
The parents proceeded to hire Gates for a private autopsy for the same, subsequently leading to the newborn’s body being posted on Instagram.
What did Dr. Jackson Gates do revealed as doctor faces lawsuit
On 14 July 2023, the physician posted a video of the newborn on Instagram just four days after the baby’s passing. However, he deleted the same. Later on, he uploaded more content about the deceased baby on the social networking site, where he had amassed over 11,000 followers.
The lawsuit against him claimed:
“This video showed in graphic and grisly detail a postmortem examination of the decapitated, severed head of Baby Isaiah.”
In an attempt to defend himself, Gates claimed that although he had posted the content on social media, he did not identify the baby. Nevertheless, his actions were condemned by many.
The couple’s lawyer said to the Miami Herald:
“This is one of the most egregious and outrageous cases of ‘clout chasing’ we have ever encountered.”
According to the Huffington Post, Dr. Jackson Gates said on his private Instagram account that the case in question now lies in the hands of law enforcement, attorneys, and the Georgia Composite Medical Board. Speaking about his response to the decapitated newborn, he said online that he “cried” and “prayed” because he had “NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS” in the past.
According to his official website, Dr. Jackson Gates is board-certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology. He studied at the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine and Emory University School of Medicine. He has reportedly diagnosed different types of cancers and chronic diseases with accuracy.
This is not the first time the doctor has shared his cases on Instagram. In the past, he has shown internal organs online to advocate for people to learn the warning signs of diseases.
