Overview

• A Fulton County jury found Dr. Jackson Gates liable for invasion of privacy and emotional distress after he posted graphic autopsy footage of Baby Isaiah on Instagram without parental consent, awarding Jessica Ross and Treveon Isaiah Taylor Sr. $2 million in compensatory and $250,000 in punitive damages.
• Gates initially removed the videos following a cease-and-desist letter in August 2023 but inexplicably reposted them days later despite being warned of the family’s emotional anguish.
• In February 2024, the Clayton County Medical Examiner ruled the infant’s July 2023 death a homicide, determining that excessive force during a complicated shoulder dystocia delivery fractured the baby’s cervical vertebrae.
• Ross and Taylor have filed a separate lawsuit against Southern Regional Medical Center and obstetrician Dr. Tracey St. Julian, alleging that a delayed C-section and negligent traction caused their son’s fatal injuries, with that case still moving through court.
• Gates has defended his postings as educational under HIPAA’s safety-reporting allowances and has indicated he plans to appeal the jury’s decision.