In a heartbreaking case that shocked the nation, a Georgia jury has awarded $2.25 million to the parents of a baby who was decapitated during childbirth and whose autopsy was later posted online without their permission.
Jessica Ross and Treveon Taylor, the parents of Baby Isaiah, were granted $2 million in compensatory damages and $250,000 in punitive damages against Dr. Jackson Gates and his company, Medical Diagnostic Choices. The verdict marks a significant moment in their ongoing legal battle, but it does little to ease the agony of losing their child in such a traumatic and deeply disturbing manner.
“While we are pleased that a jury punished Dr. Jackson Gates for his reprehensible behavior, nothing can ease the pain that the parents… have experienced,” the family’s legal team said in a statement following the ruling.
The tragedy began on July 10, 2023, at Southern Regional Medical Center in Riverdale, Georgia, when Ross went into labor. According to the lawsuit, her baby became stuck during delivery due to a complication known as shoulder dystocia — a condition where the baby’s shoulder becomes lodged behind the mother’s pelvic bone.
Instead of performing a Cesarean section, which Ross reportedly requested while her baby was still alive, her obstetrician, Dr. Tracey St. Julian, allegedly insisted on continuing a vaginal delivery. For over three hours, Ross was told to push — and during that time, her son was fatally injured. The lawsuit claims that Dr. St. Julian used “ridiculously excessive force,” ultimately causing the baby’s head to be separated from his body. Though a C-section was eventually performed, Isaiah had already died.
In the days that followed, still reeling from their loss, Ross and Taylor paid Dr. Gates $2,500 for a private autopsy, a decision made in the hope of finding closure.
But instead of providing that closure, Gates worsened their trauma. Just two days after being hired, he posted videos to his Instagram account showing graphic footage of Baby Isaiah’s body, including close-up images of his severed head. The posts were made without the parents’ knowledge or consent.
According to the lawsuit, Gates’ account featured other similar autopsy videos and had a history of sharing such content under the guise of public education. While the Instagram account has since been taken down, reports say he still has at least one active YouTube channel.
“After the decapitation of their baby, Gates poured salt into the couple’s already deep wounds when he betrayed them,” the family’s attorneys said.
Ross and Taylor issued a cease-and-desist letter to Gates in August 2023, demanding the videos be taken down. They filed a lawsuit the following month, accusing him of invasion of privacy, fraud, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Also, read: Ghana’s Economy Grows by 5.3% in Q1 2025, Surpassing Expectations
In a 2024 interview with NBC News, Gates defended his actions by claiming he had not broken any laws under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). “It is not required by a physician to get consent to report a crime or some sort of health issue to the public,” he stated. “I’ve been doing this for 15 years.”
But critics say Gates’ behavior goes far beyond any professional or ethical standards.
In February 2025, the Clayton County Medical Examiner’s Office officially ruled Isaiah’s death a homicide, citing fractures in the baby’s cervical vertebrae — injuries caused, in their words, by “the actions of another person.”
The recent court victory is only part of a broader legal push by the grieving parents. They are also suing Southern Regional Medical Center and Dr. St. Julian, who was not employed by the hospital directly but was affiliated with a private practice.
Their lawsuit argues that hospital staff failed to take timely and appropriate action during the delivery, leading to the baby’s death. However, Southern Regional has denied responsibility, releasing a statement last year claiming that the infant “passed in utero prior to the delivery and decapitation.”
As of now, no criminal charges have been filed, but public outcry continues to grow. The case has sparked renewed scrutiny over both maternal care practices and medical privacy standards in the U.S.
For Ross and Taylor, the wounds remain fresh — physical, emotional, and deeply personal. And while a jury’s decision offers a form of recognition and some measure of justice, no amount of compensation can undo the trauma of losing a child in such a brutal and public way.
