Charles Johnson founded 4 Kira 4 Moms after his wife Kira died following childbirth at Cedars-Sinai in 2016. (photo by Tabor Brewster)

Approximately 25 protestors demonstrated outside Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Feb. 20 demanding that the hospital – and hospitals across the country – do more to protect pregnant patients, specifically women of color.

The protest was organized by 4 Kira 4 Moms, a nonprofit advocacy group dedicated to improving maternal care. The group was founded by Charles Johnson, whose wife Kira died following childbirth in 2016 at Cedars-Sinai – a death that he said was entirely preventable.

“We walked into Cedars-Sinai expecting to have the happiest day of our lives, anticipating the birth of our second son, with my wife Kira. It was supposed to be a routine, scheduled C-section, and it turned into a nightmare,” Johnson said. “Kira was allowed to bleed needlessly for more than 10 hours internally while myself and my family begged and pleaded for the staff at Cedars-Sinai to take action. Our pleas fell on deaf ears.”

Johnson filed a civil rights lawsuit in May 2022, alleging that Kira was denied medical care that would have saved her life due to her race as a Black woman. According to the lawsuit, following Kira Johnson’s 17-minute cesarean section, she began to show signs of internal bleeding within an hour. The lawsuit states that doctors told Charles Johnson that Kira was “not a priority,” while they provided better care to non-Black patients. An autopsy showed that Kira Johnson died from internal bleeding 12 hours after her son was born.

While the lawsuit was ultimately settled, Johnson has not stopped fighting what he sees as a pattern of mistreatment of pregnant women of color in hospitals across the country.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are preventable. Additionally, Black women are three times more likely to die during pregnancy than white women.

“Our hope is that – not only for Cedars-Sinai, but hospital systems around the country – they will understand that if you are not taking steps to dismantle cultures and address institutional racism, then you’re complicit, and you have to be held accountable,” Johnson said. “Every family – not just Black mothers – but every family that steps foot into one of these institutions deserves safe, respectful, dignified care.”

In the aftermath of Johnson’s death, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services opened a federal civil rights investigation into Cedars-Sinai in July 2023. The medical center and federal agency agreed to a voluntary resolution in January, requiring that Cedars-Sinai take steps to improve maternal care for minority patients. However, protestors on Feb. 20 said the agreement did not do enough.

“It’s time to call Cedars on what they are not doing. Yes, they came to resolution with the Office of Civil Rights at the last minute. But what’s not included in that is accountability – admitting that they have a problem,” said Gabby Albert, executive director of 4 Kira 4 Moms. “We’re here calling on that accountability. We’re here to call for immediate suspension for at-fault providers and make them drive a zero-tolerance policy for racism and discrimination.”

Albert added that the group is also asking that Cedars-Sinai provide community oversight into maternity care, funding for minority organizations aimed at ending maternal mortality, reform on guidelines for C-sections and greater access during childbirth for doulas and midwives.

Kimberly Turbin, a Latina woman who gave birth at a Cedars-Sinai facility in Tarzana in 2013, said she was subjected to verbal abuse and medical malpractice at the hands of her obstetrician, Alex Abbassi. According to Turbin, Abbassi performed a forced episiotomy without her consent, and when she protested, he told her to “shut up,” or “go home.”

Turbin recorded the experience on video, and went on to file a lawsuit against the doctor, which was settled. Abbassi surrendered his medical license due to “age-related cognitive defects” in 2015, and died in 2018.

Since the birth of her child in 2013, Turbin has dedicated her life to being an advocate for other minority patients.

“I uncovered maternal mortality for a lot of women, Latina women also,” Turbin said. “Our babies and our mothers are dying … I don’t think I’ll ever quit fighting for this cause.”

The protestors also called for Cedars-Sinai to take greater accountability for alleged sexual abuse committed by former OB-GYN Barry J. Brock over the course of more than 40 years.

“This institution not only robbed me of what is most precious, but it is robbing families day in and day out,” Johnson said. “This is not just about health equity and racism, this is about a culture that harbors sexual predators like Dr. Barry J. Brock.”

In at least three lawsuits, Brock has been accused by 167 women of sexual misconduct, rape and other criminal sexual acts. The lawsuits also allege that Cedars-Sinai covered up the abuse while allowing Brock to continue exploiting patients. Cedars-Sinai banned Brock from practicing at the hospital in September 2024.

Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog – a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that pushes for stronger patient protections – said the many cases expose a pattern of negligence.

“What happened to Kira Johnson is an outrage, what happened to Kimberly Turbin is an outrage and what happened to the 160 women who recently filed lawsuits accusing a Cedars-Sinai OB-GYN for 30 years of sexual assault and abuse is an outrage,” Balber said. “We’re all disgusted by this activity. But what is an even worse outrage is that Cedars-Sinai allowed these serial offender doctors to keep harming women. And that is unacceptable.”

After the protest, Cedars-Sinai agreed to meet with 4 Kira 4 Moms.

“Cedars-Sinai appreciates and values the advocacy of organizations, including 4 Kira 4 Moms, in elevating awareness of disparities in Black maternal health, and we share a common goal of ensuring that all birthing patients receive high-quality, safe and equitable care,” read a statement from Cedars-Sinai. “We welcome dialogue with patients and community organizations in advocating for progress as we continue to advance this urgent work – and that is why we have offered to meet with 4 Kira 4 Moms to foster greater collaboration.”

The hospital also highlighted the agreement with the Office of Civil Rights, and the measures introduced as a result that are meant to eliminate racism and discrimination.

“Cedars-Sinai has led substantial efforts over the last decade to understand and address the effects of bias in healthcare and promote equitable outcomes for our birthing patients, one of our highest priorities,” the statement read. “Among other initiatives, we have introduced an online tool to anonymously report suspected bias in labor and delivery settings, instituted mandatory annual unconscious bias education, created clinical and research programs to improve maternal health outcomes and collaborated with community partners to further reduce Black maternal health disparities. We remain committed to partnering with organizations in the community to build on this important work.”

Protestors called on Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to take accountability for alleged racial discrimination in maternal care. (photo by Tabor Brewster)