Student Sues After Expulsion. Sent Private Message To Another Student After Witnessing Autopsy. READ THE TEXT.
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2025 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A Florida Atlantic University medical student — kicked out of school over a Snapchat message that he wrote about an autopsy — is asking the Florida Court of Appeals to hear his case. The petition for Writ of Certiorari was just filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court.
According to the petition obtained by BocaNewsNow.com and published below, medical student Jiong Gao observed an autopsy as part of his medical school rotation. He then wrote about the autopsy in a “Snapchat” message sent to another student. The school claims that the student who received the message was so disturbed about what Gao described that it rose to the level of violating FAU’s code of how students must treat each other. This is a key section from the petition filed by Gao’s attorney:
“FAU’s decision to dismiss Gao is based upon one allegation of misconduct during his forensic pathology rotation. On or about September 4, 2024, Gao observed an autopsy that he found both significant to his training and emotionally impactful. In an effort to share this clinical experience, he sent a private Snapchat message to a fellow medical student whom he had recently mentored during a consult-liaison/emergency psychiatry rotation. Although the language in his message was frank, descriptive, and generally consistent with the realities of forensic pathology, it was also instructed to him ad verbatim during the autopsy and was intended solely for the recipient’s eyes. The private message was subsequently disseminated to other students without Gao’s knowledge or consent, resulting in a Professionalism Incident Report (PIR) being filed against him. (A9- A11). FAU set forth the specific allegation against Gao as follows:
FAU CLAIM: This most recent PIR filed on September 4, 2024 concerned a “Snapchat” that you sent to a M3 student. In that “Snapchat,” you describe in graphic and explicit detail an autopsy that you worked on during your recent Forensic Pathology Rotation. The language you used in your “Snapchat” was so graphic and disturbing that the recipient, who was not a participant on your rotation, was reportedly alarmed and submitted a PIR against you. The Medical Examiner, who was the site director for your Forensic Pathology Rotation, immediately terminated you from the rotation upon learning of your post. You were also removed from all clinical activities by the Office of Student Affairs, due to patient safety concerns in light of the disturbing nature of your post, until the MSPPSC could convene to review your circumstances and make any appropriate recommendations or determinations. PRN was also notified of your social media post, at which point they recommended that you refrain from clinical practice pending either (i) review of this matter by the MSPPSC and/or (ii) an updated psychological evaluation by PRN. (A9-11).”
The actual message that Gao sent is published, above. It’s unclear how a message about an autopsy — a procedure to determine a cause of death by cutting open a body and examining organs — is considered offensive. It’s also unclear exactly why the Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees — trying to build a legitimate medical program — would determine expulsion is the best course of action against a student sending a private message about a medical procedure he observed. Conversely, it’s unclear if FAU medical students agree to not discuss anything that they see in a clinical environment as part of their eduction contract. We note the student who received the “Snapchat” message continued to “text” Gao following the alleged incident, according to an attorney for Gao. Read the complete petition, below.
Dismissal of Jiang Gao.
If he was mentoring a student and sent him a private snap chat about a significant autopsy without information on who this decedent was, the dismissal is not warranted. The person who sent the info they received to others is in the wrong. Universities think they have to punish everything someone does if it has even the slightest possibility of putting a program on blast. To throw out a good student is a travesty. A warning was in order not expulsion. Shame on you FAU.
If you can’t handle this, you need to choose a different field. This is the problem with this generation, they want to be doctors without all the seeing the horrific stuff. They should be forced to see stuff like this so that when it happens and they are the responding doctor, they don’t freeze up and panic because of the violent nature. They NEED to be used to this stuff or find a different career
I don’t think he couldn’t handle it at all. He was sharing something he felt was educationally significant with a kid he was mentoring. Ruining a kids career over this is nothing but disgusting. Full fledged doctors do far more serious things and they rarely lead to dismissal or disciplinary action. Just take a look in nursing homes. How many times the doctors and nurses screw up and a patient dies. No one sues because the person was on Medicaid or people in ISA put far less value on an elders life. That’s punishable by years behind bars. Perspective please.
It’s the lack of respect given to the deceased that’s the issue for me. Describing the person’s organs as “rare” or “well done” is offensive. It’s bad enough that we do this to animals. Then there is the part about this newsletter publishing the text . It’s just sensationalism. We live in a very harsh world these days, sorry to say.
OMG, really, ya gotta be kidding. I have seen probably ten peopls burned to death in fires and the description by the Gao is accurate.
I agree if you cant handle it, become an IT specialist or any thing other than a doctor!
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