City woman sues Warren, police and hospital
Claims she was denied care during miscarriage
WARREN — Brittany Watts, whose miscarriage experience became a major topic of public discussion in 2024, has filed a lawsuit against Bon Secours Mercy Health, St. Joseph Warren Hospital, the city of Warren and several individuals.
The lawsuit accuses hospital staff of failing to provide proper care during a pregnancy-related emergency and police officers of wrongful arrest.
According to the lawsuit, Watts sought medical help at St. Joseph Warren Hospital in September 2023 because of pregnancy complications. She agreed to have her labor induced, but despite her consent, the hospital delayed the procedure without providing an adequate reason. The delay, the suit claims, worsened her condition and led to a traumatic pregnancy loss.
Watts alleges that this delay, along with the overall lack of proper medical care, violated the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), a federal law requiring hospitals to provide emergency medical care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay or other factors.
The complaint specifically names Dr. Parisa Khavari, the physician responsible for Watts’ care, alleging that Dr. Khavari breached the required standard of care. An affidavit from Dr. Joy Cooper, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist, supports Watts’ claim. “Dr. Khavari’s treatment did not meet the accepted standard of care, and this breach caused harm to Ms. Watts,” Cooper stated.
In addition to the medical negligence claims, the lawsuit accuses Warren police officer Nicholas Carney of submitting a false police report. According to the complaint, Carney falsely stated that Watts had “taken the fetus out of the toilet and placed it in a black bucket,” a claim Watts denies. She maintains that she never saw the fetus and believed it passed in fragments because of her condition.
The lawsuit further asserts that Carney omitted key details in his report, such as Watts’ consistent statements that she did nothing to harm the fetus. This false report led to Watts’ arrest on charges of abuse of a corpse.
However, the complaint argues that the charge was unfounded, stating, “Under Ohio law, a fetus does not have legal status as a ‘corpse’ until it reaches viability, making the charge legally baseless.”
Hospital administrator Connie Moschell is also named in the suit. Watts claims that Moschell failed to address her concerns and played a significant role in delaying the induction of labor, which worsened her condition. The lawsuit alleges that Moschell’s inaction contributed to the overall mishandling of Watts’ care.
Watts first went public with her story in early 2024, sparking widespread concern about the treatment of black women in health care and the use of criminal charges in pregnancy-related medical cases. Her lawsuit seeks a jury trial and damages for the medical and emotional harm she endured, as well as for the reputational damage caused by her arrest.
Neither Bon Secours Mercy Health, St. Joseph Warren Hospital, nor the City of Warren has issued a public response to the lawsuit.
Watts said she would not be making a comment at this time and would let the lawsuit speak for itself.
A court date has yet to be scheduled.