Mercy Health and several of its staff members have denied allegations of wrongdoing in a federal lawsuit filed by a Warren woman who claims she was mistreated during a miscarriage and subsequently faced criminal charges.

In a court filing submitted to the U.S. District Court, attorneys representing Bon Secours Mercy Health, St. Joseph Warren Hospital, and individual staff members Connie Moschell, Jordan Carrino, and Parisa Khavari disputed key claims made by Brittany Watts.

Watts filed the lawsuit alleging that the hospital and its staff failed to provide adequate medical care during her September 2023 miscarriage, leading to her wrongful arrest and prosecution. She claims hospital staff reported her to police, resulting in a felony abuse of a corpse charge, which was later dismissed by a grand jury.

In their response, the hospital and staff denied Watts’ claims of improper medical care and denied any wrongdoing. They specifically denied allegations that they deprived Watts of necessary medical treatment, caused her to be falsely charged with a felony, or harmed her.

Watts was approximately 21 weeks pregnant when she sought treatment at St. Joseph Warren Hospital for pain and bleeding and was diagnosed with placental abruption. Lawyers for the hospitals claim that Watts left the hospital against medical advice twice.

The hospital and staff denied allegations that they delayed treatment or that they failed to provide Watts with necessary information about her condition and treatment options. They also denied any knowledge of the condition of the fetus after Watts miscarried at home.

The defendants admitted that Moschell contacted the hospital’s risk management department and that Carrino documented statements made by Watts. However, they denied any conspiracy to fabricate evidence or falsely implicate Watts in criminal conduct.

The hospital and staff also denied violating the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, which requires hospitals to provide stabilizing treatment to patients with emergency medical conditions.

Mercy’s attorney notes that Watts signed a release when she left the hospital against medical advice, that the statute of limitations bars her claims, and that they are entitled to immunity. They also argued that although a grand jury declined to indict Watts, a judge in Warren Municipal court found that probable cause existed to send the case to the grand jury.

The City of Warren and Officer Nicholas Carney, also named in the lawsuit, previously filed a response denying liability.

Watts’ situation has drawn attention to the treatment of women experiencing miscarriages and the responsibilities of healthcare providers.