ATLANTA, GA — A Georgia couple has been awarded over $2M by a jury in Fulton County after a doctor and his office were found liable in a lawsuit suing him for posting photos of their newborn who was decapitated during childbirth.
Dr. Jackson Gates, a metro-Atlanta-based forensic pathologist, was hired by the baby’s parents, Treveon Taylor Sr. and Jessica Ross, to perform an autopsy on their baby who tragically was decapitated during delivery on July 9, 2023.
The medical examiner’s office ruled the child’s death as a homicide in February of 2024.
Attorneys for Jessica Ross and Traevon Taylor Sr. say Gates poured salt in their wounds when he displayed images on his Instagram account of their decapitated baby.
He maintained that he posted the videos for educational purposes.
The three-day trial ended giving the couple $2M for compensation and another $250,000 to punish Gates. But attorney Cory Lynch says there was no celebration here.
“That’s their child that was put on display for clicks, likes, shares, and commentary on Instagram, which made no sense.”
A lawsuit against the hospital of Traevon Jr’s delivery is still pending and the parents have also sued the physician responsible for their baby’s decapitation. That case is currently being litigated.
WSB Radio’s Ann Powell contributed to this story.