A man whose Black wife died shortly after giving birth to their second son has filed a civil rights lawsuit against Cedars-Sinai hospital alleging her death was the result of a culture of racism
Charles Johnson, right, is surrounded by his legal team Chris Dolan, left, in blue, Courtney Rowley, center, and Nick Rowley, second from right, during a press conference announcing a lawsuit outside Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Wednesday, May 4, 2022, in Los Angeles. Johnson's wife Kira died at the hospital in 2016 from complications after giving birth by cesarean section.
Johnson died about 12 hours after having a scheduled cesarean section that was performed in 17 minutes to deliver the couple's second son, Langston. The surgeon who performed the C-section had cut into Kira Johnson's bladder and she hadn't been sutured properly, Rowley said. When she was finally brought back into the operating room, nearly 90% of her blood was found in her stomach.
Kira Johnson's death led her husband on a crusade to advocate for reducing maternal mortality, which is especially high for Black women. The civil rights case would give Johnson another avenue to collect damages and hold Cedars-Sinai accountable. He's also seeking an injunction that would require the hospital to make changes to protect mothers and women of color.
Dr. Sarah Kilpatrick, chair of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, testified that she told Charles Johnson: “I'm sorry. We failed your family. ... This shouldn't have happened."
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