Dr. Simone Gold Exposes Media Smears, Coroner Bias, and a Frivolous Lawsuit That Cost AFLDS Over $250,000 — Now Fully Dismissed With Prejudice
In a decisive ruling that mainstream media has yet to acknowledge, a Nevada district court has fully dismissed all claims against Free Speech Foundation, Inc. d/b/a America’s Frontline Doctors (AFLDS) in a high-profile wrongful death lawsuit (case file PDF’s at bottom of the article).
The case, Estate of Jeremy Parker et al. v. Medina Culver, D.O. et al., Case No. CV23-00219 (Second Judicial District Court, Washoe County, Dept. 8), alleged that AFLDS bore responsibility for Jeremy Parker’s death after he obtained a hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) prescription through a third-party telemedicine referral listed on AFLDS’s informational website.
Dr. Simone Gold, physician, attorney, and founder of AFLDS, joined host John Davidson and co-host Jennifer Kennedy, Esq. of Freedom Counsel on BrokenTruth.TV to discuss the case, the evidence, institutional biases exposed during litigation, and the broader fight for medical freedom.
Background: A Case Amplified by Media and Politics
Jeremy Parker, 52, died suddenly on February 3, 2022, at a friend’s home in the Reno/Sparks area. His widow, Jelena Hatfield, and other family members filed suit, claiming a single therapeutic dose of HCQ — prescribed months earlier via telehealth — caused his death. The narrative was heavily promoted by The Intercept and Time Magazine, which linked the tragedy to AFLDS and “right-wing doctors” pushing repurposed COVID treatments.
Dr. Gold emphasized AFLDS’s limited role: the organization is a nonprofit focused on education, public information, essays, videos, and medical freedom advocacy. It never employed prescribing physicians, conducted telemedicine, maintained patient records, or owned telehealth platforms. It simply listed independent providers as resources for patients seeking awake doctors during a time when many physicians were restricted from early treatment options.
Court Rulings: Complete Dismissal With Prejudice
On August 29, 2025, the court held a hearing and later issued an Order Granting Defendant Free Speech Foundation, Inc. d/b/a America’s Frontline Doctors’ Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ Third-Amended Complaint With Prejudice. The court rejected claims of wrongful death, negligence, deceptive trade practices, and breach of contract against AFLDS.Key reasons included:
No underlying tort or duty owed by AFLDS, a public information nonprofit.
No viable vicarious liability (apparent authority) theory under Nevada law (NRS 41.085).
Failure to comply with medical malpractice affidavit requirements (NRS 41A.071).
Claims of negligent referral or supervision not recognized in Nevada.
Lack of consideration or mutual assent for any alleged contract.
The dismissal with prejudice means the claims were so fundamentally deficient that no amendment could cure them — a strong judicial rejection.
A later Omnibus Order (addressing remaining issues) granted summary judgment to co-defendant Dr. Medina Culver, D.O., denied AFLDS’s request for attorney’s fees, and denied plaintiffs’ challenges to costs. Despite the complete victory on the merits, AFLDS was left bearing over $250,000 in defense costs after more than two years of litigation involving multiple experts (cardiologists, pathologists, and HCQ specialists) and repeated amended complaints.
The Fatal Flaws: Autopsy, Death Certificate, and Bias
The court filings and discovery highlighted glaring discrepancies:
The autopsy documented dilated cardiomyopathy — a floppy, enlarged heart with high risk of sudden death, often linked to chronic alcohol use. This critical finding was omitted from the official death certificate.
The death certificate, signed by Washoe County Medical Examiner Dr. Laura D. Knight, listed only: “Sudden Death In The Setting Of Therapeutic Use Of Hydroxychloroquine.”
Parker received 10 tablets (2,000 mg total) in August 2021; his wife maintained he took only one. Blood levels were sub-therapeutic. HCQ experts confirmed a single 200 mg dose could not cause death.
Emails between coroners revealed political skepticism toward HCQ and AFLDS, raising questions about scientific objectivity in a legal document with major financial and reputational consequences.
Plaintiffs’ expert evidence was weak compared to the defense’s high-caliber specialists. The prescribing physician’s motion for summary judgment was also granted, further underscoring the lack of causation.
Media Role and Ambulance-Chasing Allegations
Dr. Gold criticized The Intercept and Time for sloppy reporting that ignored basic facts: the prescription header showed a separate telehealth platform (not AFLDS), the prescription predated death by months, and AFLDS had no direct involvement. No reporters contacted AFLDS for comment. Attorney Luke Busby was described as continuing the case long after evidence showed it was meritless.
Why This Case Mattered
This lawsuit was part of a larger pattern: using tragedy to discredit safe, generic, decades-old medications like HCQ, intimidate early-treatment advocates, and chill free speech on medical issues. AFLDS’s survival and the with-prejudice dismissal represent a victory for truth over narrative.As Dr. Gold noted, defending the case drained significant resources from a modest nonprofit doing vital work — including amicus briefs supporting medical freedom cases at the U.S. Supreme Court on Emergency Use Authorization issues.
Listen to the full interview on BrokenTruth.TV for Dr. Gold’s detailed, unfiltered account, sworn testimony highlights, coroner emails, and discussion of ongoing medical freedom battles (including the upcoming GoldCare.com town hall on Hantavirus with Dr. Robert Malone).Court documents, including the dismissal order, Omnibus Order, and death certificate, are available below. Medical freedom depends on sunlight — this case shows what happens when politics overrides pathology and journalism skips due diligence. AFLDS continues the fight at AFLDS.org.
