Grieving couple was awarded $2.25 after their doctor posted autopsy videos of their newborn online.
A Georgia couple has been awarded $2.25 million after a jury found a pathologist shared autopsy footage of their newborn son online without their consent. The case centered on the emotional and legal fallout from the death of Treveon Taylor Jr., a baby who was decapitated during birth in July 2023. His parents, Jessica Ross and Treveon Isaiah Taylor Sr., hired Dr. Jackson Gates to conduct a private autopsy. But instead of keeping the process private, Gates uploaded parts of the procedure to social media, including videos of their son’s body.
The parents filed a lawsuit against Gates in September 2023, claiming the videos were posted on Instagram without any warning or permission. When they learned about the videos, their attorneys sent a letter asking for them to be taken down. Gates removed them—but later reposted the footage, according to their legal team. Though Gates said the videos were meant to educate other professionals, the jury didn’t agree that this justified the exposure. The jury ultimately found Gates responsible for causing emotional harm, violating the couple’s privacy, and misrepresenting his actions.
Gates did not initially respond to the lawsuit, which led to a default judgment in the parents’ favor. During the trial, Gates expressed regret and said he never meant to hurt the family. His lawyer argued that Gates was trying to help people better understand what can go wrong during childbirth and why second opinions in suspicious cases may be important. But the jury focused on the fact that this particular family had trusted him and had no reason to expect their tragedy would be posted for public viewing.
The lawyer for the parents called Gates’ actions a deep betrayal. He said Gates took the most personal and painful moment of the couple’s life and made it public, adding even more hurt to an already unbearable experience. The parents said they turned to Gates because they didn’t trust the hospital’s explanation of what happened during the delivery. They felt they were treated unfairly and wanted answers. Instead, they said, their baby’s body became part of a shocking display.
The $2.25 million verdict does not include the couple’s other ongoing lawsuit against the doctor who delivered the baby and the hospital where it happened. That case is still active, and no trial date has been set. In that separate case, the family claims medical errors caused the baby’s death, which led them to seek the outside autopsy in the first place.
Cases involving medical privacy violations are often hard to win, especially when the person responsible claims they didn’t mean any harm. In this instance, the jury’s decision shows they believed the family had a right to control how their baby’s body was handled and who saw it. Even if Gates believed he was sharing something for professional reasons, the court ruled that didn’t excuse the pain it caused.
Medical images, especially those involving children, are tightly protected by privacy rules. Families have the right to decide what happens to a loved one’s remains after death, including how and if autopsies are recorded or shared. When those boundaries are crossed, the emotional toll can be devastating.
For Ross and Taylor, the verdict is a small step toward accountability. Their grief will continue, but the court’s decision acknowledged their loss and the emotional impact of what they endured. Gates may still face professional consequences as well, though that has not yet been made public.
The case highlights how easily sensitive material can spread online and the damage that can follow. For families in the middle of grief, the ripple effects of such actions can make an already tragic time feel unbearable. The court’s ruling sends a message that privacy matters—even after death—and those who ignore that can be held responsible.
Sources:
Jury awards $2.25 million to Georgia couple in suit over autopsy images of decapitated baby
Death of Georgia baby decapitated during delivery ruled a homicide by medical examiner
Atlanta doctor must pay $2.25M for posting decapitated baby’s autopsy video
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