Thursday, May 24, 2012
SANDUSKY, Ohio (AP) — A northern Ohio hospital has reached a proposed settlement of about $1 million with women who say an employee improperly stuffed miscarried or stillborn fetuses into jars for years instead of medically disposing of them.
Firelands Community Hospital, now known as Firelands Regional Medical Center, reached the agreement after years of litigation. The women filed a class-action lawsuit complaining about how the hospital disposed of the fetuses.
Court records show a former Firelands employee placed 88 fetuses into jars between 1988 and 1996. She worked with a pathologist to use them for teaching purposes. She told the hospital she kept the fetuses in jars instead of disposing of them for personal religious reasons.
An attorney representing the women says they’re happy with the settlement. The hospital declined immediate comment.